Starting Over
by Epona3
Summary: After Hong Kong, Annie needs to start over somehow. Why not with Auggie?
1. Chapter 1

_**Here we go! **_

_**While I posted "Warm Welcome" immediately following the season finale, it isn't the post S4 world I wanted to create. I've thought a lot about the post S4 world, and I'm having a really hard time with where they left everybody. It feels like this is stealing a lot of WillyNilly23's worlds, but I promise to write lots of scenes where Annie and Auggie kiss, so I'm sure she won't mind. **_

_**So here we go, kids. A long journey to get to a place where I can write sappy one-shots until S5 starts! **_

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><p>"Why are you talking to me about this alone?"<p>

Calder had expected the question from Auggie. He had watched the two operatives enough to know that while they would keep state secrets until their death, they hated to keep anything from each other.

"Because, at this point you would be giving up more than Annie." Calder explained.

"Bullshit," Auggie replied. His tone stating more than the single word.

"You know damn well why I'm only talking to you. We can both see where you and Annie are headed, with or without a mission, and you have to admit that this is a good way for her to start over."

"She still has a choice." Auggie replied.

"Absolutely. But you and I both know that as a field operative, her usefulness is going to be pretty slim if she doesn't do something like this."

Auggie nodded.

"I didn't come up with this on my own, you know. I talked to Joan."

"How soon would we need to go?" Auggie asked.

"Take as long as you want. The process is meant to be slow."

Auggie sighed. "Okay. I'll let you know what she says."

...

Annie had put together very little of her old life, but the Agency had assisted in getting her a small apartment of her own in Northern Virginia. She and Auggie were slowly rebuilding their relationship, but Annie had grown accustomed to keeping her own space while she was away. This is why she declined Auggie's offers to live with him.

As he walked up to her apartment, Auggie wished the agency could have found her a place on the same bus route as his.

"Hey," she greeted. "I wasn't expecting you today."

"Sorry. I should have called first."

"No, it's okay. Come on in."

Auggie pretended to survey the small space. "Do you have a boyfriend hiding in the closet?" He asked with a grin.

"He's waiting in my bed, actually."

Auggie ran his hand up her arm and felt that she was fully clothed. "We good to talk?"

"Yeah," Annie's voice lost it's light-heartenedness.

"How are you feeling?" Auggie asked.

"Little better everyday." She responded as she led him to the couch. "Beer?"

"Yes, please."

Annie returned a moment later and pressed a cold bottle to the back of his hand. She watched as he took a took a sip, knowing from his body language that he needed to talk about something serious.

"So what's going on?" She asked.

"It's time to start thinking about your next assignment."

"Already?" She replied. "I thought they would keep me out of the field for months, if not a year."

Auggie shrugged. "Kind of. They aren't exactly sending you on a brush pass next week or anything."

"What is it, then?"

"A long term deal. Traditional spycraft with a well established cover."

"Like what?"

Auggie swallowed and drew up some courage. "You and me, married, in California."

Annie was silent a moment, exactly as Auggie expected. She was silent a lot recently.

"You can say 'No.'"

"So can you," Annie replied softly.

"I've done the cover marriage experience before, Annie. I don't want that. I want you. I want to be with you forever, in real life and in our covers. But I understand if you need more time."

"Did you just propose?" Annie asked.

"Trust me, the real proposal will involve a crowded restaurant and no doubts as to my intentions."

"And if I'm not ready?" Annie asked.

"We tell Calder that." Auggie said. "And he goes back to finding a place for you."

"Without you." Annie continued.

"Most likely." Auggie replied. "Your options are limited because of all the countries currently looking for you."

"I want you, Auggie."

"You have me." He replied, reminiscent of a conversation they had after their first night together.

"How about we have a big dinner out, then?"

Auggie's eyes widened. He didn't expect her to be on board with things so easily. "Really?" He asked.

Annie shrugged. "I've been doing so many things in life without very much consideration lately. I should do something that I know is good, for once. Can you stay around tonight and tell me the details?"

Instead of responding, Auggie reached for Annie and pulled her close for a kiss.


	2. Chapter 2

_**Thank you for all the lovely feedback! **_

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><p>"Annie, it sounds boring, but this is how things are supposed to happen." Auggie explained.<p>

"If we go for two years, living like normal people, won't we lose our skills?" Annie asked.

Auggie scoffed at the idea. "We will never be able to completely drop our guard. I will be working in cyber security, possibly in weapons manufacturing, and you are going to be working in something that requires your languages. We will still fight together at a gym, and you will never stop looking over both of our shoulders to make sure we aren't being watched."

"But it won't matter if we are watched. We will be legitimately normal people."

"That's a pretty harsh way of looking at it, but, yes."

"And after two years?" Annie asked.

"At some point the Agency will call us to action. They might move us somewhere else, send you out on smaller missions, or have us try to get close to somebody in California. The point is that there will be far less suspicion that we are spies, because we will have spent so much time not spying."

"So meanwhile, we just lead a normal, suburban, married life?"

Auggie shrugged. "I would prefer something slightly urban, if you don't mind."

"But normal, and married." Annie clarified.

"With friends we hang out with on the weekends and everything."

Annie thought about this a moment. "Auggie?" She asked softly.

"Yes?"

"Are you sure we can pull this off?"

"Yes," He replied quickly and confidently.

"And you really want to marry me?" She asked.

"Yes," He replied without hesitation.

"Do I get a diamond?"

Auggie grinned. "Do you want one?"

"Yes."

A large smile spread across Auggie's face. Annie wished she could match it, but gained some comfort in seeing him so happy.

...

The next morning, Auggie and Annie walked into Langley together. More than anything, Annie wanted the churning in her stomach to stop. She knew she was making the right decision. She had to be. How could running away with Auggie, with the full support of the CIA, be the wrong decision?

They went straight to Calder's office.

"Good morning, Auggie." Calder's assistant greeted. "I'll let him know you are here with..."

"Annie," Auggie filled in. "He will know."

The woman nodded and buzzed into the office. She quickly got permission to send them inside.

"Usually when a decision is made this fast, it isn't good. But with you two nothing is ever normal." Calder greeted.

"I want to talk about some of the details." Annie responded.

"Then have a seat and let's get to work."

...

Annie was quiet when they stepped out of Calder's office. Out of habit, she led Auggie toward the DPD.

"Where are you going?" Auggie asked.

Annie stopped. She laughed a breath and turned toward him. "I don't know. Where should I be going?"

"Home." Auggie replied.

"Aren't there things I need to do? To prepare?" Annie asked.

"Pick out a nice dress for our big dinner." He said, soothingly.

"And in the meantime?"

Auggie sighed. "I have a lot that I have to put together on my end. This op goes live when I tell you I have a job waiting in California. The Agency is lining up that job, but I have to help them with that. Unfortunately, you don't do anything until the op is live."

Annie nodded. "Okay. I'm going to head to the gym, then. Are you sure you don't want to join me?"

"Definitely want to, but I have a wedding proposal to plan."

Annie didn't step away, but didn't say anything.

"If you are thinking about changing your mind..."

"No," Annie interrupted. "I'm just sorting everything out."

"Why don't you go visit Joan? Once we start this new life, we won't have any contact with others in the CIA. Tell her I'll be sure to say goodbye, but I don't think I'll have time for a visit."

Annie smiled and gave Auggie's arm a squeeze, but she didn't walk away.

"What?" Auggie asked.

Annie's smile came through in her voice. "You are always able to point me in the right direction."

Auggie smiled back. "Likewise," he said quietly. "Now, you'll have plenty of time to stare at me, soon enough. Go on."

"Yes, sir." Annie replied before walking toward the exit.

...

The Campbell House was assumed to be watched, and not easily accessible to transit. Annie still did not have a car. She didn't realize that Auggie had given her such a tricky mission.

Then again, he knew she needed the distraction.

Annie paid the taxi driver in cash at the movie theater. When she stepped behind the building, she put on a thick scarf, hat, and sunglasses before beginning the two mile walk to the Campbell's house.

When she arrived, she quickly rang the doorbell.

"What are you doing here?" Joan greeted.

"May I come in?" Annie replied.

"Of course."

A baby screamed in the other room. "He had just fallen asleep when the doorbell woke him up." Joan said. Annie could tell she was tired.

"I'm so sorry! I didn't even think about-"

"It's okay." Joan interrupted. "Have a seat."

"Shouldn't you go take care of McKenzie?" Annie asked.

"He'll quiet down soon enough and go back to sleep. It's okay."

Annie was slightly distracted by the wailing. "Auggie said you were consulted about the plan." She jumped straight to the point.

"I see that Calder worked fast. Are you going along with it?" Joan looked closely at Annie.

"Yes," Annie responded, without hesitation.

Joan smiled. It wasn't one of her real smiles, but one that she used at the office when she was guarding her emotions. "Then some congratulations are in order."

Annie smiled back, and hoped that it was convincing.

"You still have doubts." Joan stated.

Annie huffed and rolled her eyes. "Of course I do. But what, in this life, is ever certain?"

"Not everything is certain, but this is something you can have control over." Joan responded.

Annie sighed. "The only thing that I am certain of, these days, is that I trust Auggie. Even after all that I've been through, being around him grounds me. It's as though, while I may not be sure who I am, he is."

"You two are good for each other." Joan responded.

"He's good for me, at least."

"And you are good for him." Joan replied. "When you came around, he hadn't been able to find a way to prove to The Powers That Be that he could be anything other than a tech specialist. You helped him reach this point, Annie. The fact that the DCI is working with Calder to send both of you out is proof that you are good for him."

"Professionally." Annie added. "But on an emotional level, he deserves better."

It was Joan's turn to huff at Annie. "He's a man. I assure you that you will meet his emotional needs, just fine. He knows what it's like to lose yourself. He knows what he's getting into."

"We'll miss you, Joan."

"We'll miss you, too. But I have faith that the two of you will accomplish amazing things."

"Thank you." Annie replied. She noticed that McKenzie had quieted down. "I should let you get your rest."

"I've given up on rest, but I can use the time to take a shower." Joan replied.

"I'll leave you to that." Annie said, standing up.

Joan rose and walked with Annie toward the door. "I know he doesn't need it, but take good care of Auggie out there." Joan said.

"He wanted me to tell you 'Goodbye' He probably won't be able to do it in person."

"Let him know that I have faith that you two will do great things. He knows how to get in touch with me if he ever really needs to."

Annie nodded.

"Goodbye, Annie."

"Godbye, Joan."

The two women hugged, then Annie replaced her hood and hat before walking out the door.


	3. Chapter 3

It was late that evening before Auggie called Annie.

"Hey," Annie answered.

"Hey," He replied.

"You still at work?"

"Leaving shortly. How was your day?" Auggie asked.

"It was good. Do you need to take care of stuff at home, or do you want to come over?" Annie's interest in being around other people was getting stronger.

"I actually need to take care of some stuff at my place. You want to meet me there?"

"Yeah," Annie replied. "I'll bring dinner."

An hour later Auggie let Annie into his apartment with a smile. She still didn't greet him with a hug or a kiss, but the fact that she wanted to spend time with him was progress.

"Did you bring sushi?" Auggie asked, not smelling any of the usual take-out options but hearing the crinkle of a plastic bag.

"Sorry, just a frozen pizza." She responded.

"That works."

"And beer," Annie added.

"Even better." He replied.

Auggie heard Annie pre-heat the oven and search for a pan. He found the beers on the counter and put them into the fridge.

"I'm excited about this," Annie said. Auggie thought he heard a smile in her voice.

"Pizza?" He said.

Annie laughed. "Yes. I haven't had frozen pizza since college. I can't wait to see how it tastes." For a moment, she sounded like her old self.

"Probably better if you drink some beer first." He replied, handing her a bottle.

"Thanks."

The familiar, comfortable silence fell over them again.

"How was Joan?" Auggie asked.

Annie caught Auggie up on the visit she had with Joan, and filled the silence with details of her yoga class. It wasn't something she had enjoyed much before, but with all the stress and reflection she was going through after Henry, she found it relaxing.

"How was the job hunt?" Annie asked.

Auggie shrugged. "I'm pretty marketable. We have in-roads at about ten places. The goal is that I have offers from at least three so that we can decide which is most beneficial to us and the Agency. For cover purposes it has to look the the company came and recruited me, so that will take a little time."

Annie nodded. "So we aren't exactly talking about this friday night at eight?"

"I guess not. When Calder said this situation would take some time, he meant it. I expect it will be up to six weeks before we move to California."

"I said my goodbye a little too early, then."

Auggie shrugged. "It won't hurt for you to be away from everybody for a while."

Annie laughed. "That's sort of how we ended up in this predicament."

Auggie's expression fell, his eyes narrowing. His voice was rather flat as he spoke. "You see this as a predicament?"

Annie immediately realized his misinterpretation. "No, not at all," She said as she ran around the island and put her hands on the sides Auggie's face. "I see this, what we are doing, as an opportunity. The predicament is where I am right now, where I was last week. This place where I am trying to come back from the dead."

Auggie nodded, slightly ashamed of his over-reaction. Their foreheads rested together for a moment.

"I guess this brings us to something I've wanted to talk about." Auggie finally said.

"What's that?" Annie asked.

"I know that the idea of 'No secrets' between us didn't really work out. But there's something I was hoping you could promise me."

"Yes?" Annie replied, hesitantly.

"Let me know when I'm wrong."

"In what way?" Annie asked.

"The big ways," Auggie replied. "About your emotions."

Annie pinched her lips together. "That's harder than it sounds."

"You're telling me." He managed a small smile. "But since we have become closer, I've realized that I probably get a lot wrong. I don't really know. Things are just so complicated for us right now, I want you to be honest with me. If you aren't happy, I want to know."

Annie nodded. "Okay. I'm not happy about agreeing to this, but I'll definitely try."

Auggie ducked his head down and took a deep breath. "The pizza is burning." He said calmly.

"Oh." Annie said as she jumped up and quickly opened the oven door. She expected smoke to billow out, but there really was just the strong smell of perfectly browned pizza. She looked back at Auggie who had re-composed himself.

"Nice distraction." She told him.

He shrugged. "It could have been burnt. You know, if you hadn't jumped up and taken care of it."

"I'm genuinely smiling at you right now." She explained.

A large smile spread across Auggie's face. "Good! Now I bet you are wondering if I have a pizza cutter."

"Do you?"

"Yeah, I think."

Annie opened the drawer with Auggie's few cooking utensils, and found a pizza cutter. "Got it."


	4. Chapter 4

The night finally came for Annie and Auggie's big date. It took longer than they expected to find the right fit, but the Agency and Auggie had worked the necessary magic for him to have an offer he couldn't refuse.

Annie had taken the time to polish her resume and solidify her background in the arts. For the sake of their cover, she was going to look for a job in California on her own. Of course, the Agency would have to approve, but she had to use her own skills to get the position. "If you spend a month out there hitting the pavement, that's just more believable." Calder had explained.

In the meantime, this mission had given Annie something to look forward to. She was excited to be with Auggie, and felt like her old self a little bit more everyday.

She took a deep breath and straightened her dress, then knocked on his door. He must have been close, considering how fast he answered.

"Hey." She said, her face lighting up at the sight of him. He had on a dark blue shirt with a thin black tie and a vest that matched his pants.

"Hey." He replied.

Annie stepped forward and gave him a quick, but sizzling kiss on the mouth.

"That answers my first question." Auggie said with a grin. "Now that I know that you think I look stunning, are you ready to go through with this?"

"Yes." Annie replied. There was no doubt in her voice.

Auggie smiled. He already had his jacket on and his cane folded up in his hand. "Then let's get this show on the road."

He locked his door and offered his elbow to her. She draped her arm through his, and they walked together to the elevator. Standing close, he gave her a kiss on the top of her head.

"Anything I need to know?" Auggie said, softly.

"I'm really excited to get this started." Annie replied.

Auggie smiled.

"And you have my lipstick on your face."

His smile grew as she wiped at his lips.

A little while later, they sat across from each other in the crowded restaurant. They were enjoying the last glasses of a bottle of wine.

Auggie took a sip and sat his glass down carefully. It was time for the show to begin. "Annie, I have some news."

"Oh?"

"I have been approached by a firm in California. They've made an offer to hire me."

"Wow. That's cool. Obviously they don't know how happy you are here." She responded.

Auggie shrugged and fidgeted with his wine glass. "They made a _really good_ offer."

"Oh my God. What are you saying?" Annie asked.

Auggie looked up towards her. "I'm saying that I accepted the position."

"In California?" Auggie thought he could hear her voice crack.

"Hey," he said, reaching for her hands. "It's not definite, I mean, I..."

"You are moving to the other side of the country, Auggie. Do you expect me to be happy about this?"

"I want you to join me."

Annie gaped and stuttered while she stared at Auggie.

He stared back toward her, squeezing her hand tightly.

"Join you?" Annie finally asked.

Auggie used his free hand to pull a small velvet box from his jacket pocket. "I would get down on one knee, but it's pretty crowded in here, and knocking over the adjacent table would probably kill the moment."

Annie gasped as Auggie opened the box. The people around them got quieter as they realized what was going on.

"Annie, will you come with me to California and be my wife?"

Annie stared at the ring. It was simple, yet elegant. She knew that Auggie would choose well.

"Yes." She whispered. "Yes, I want to marry you. But California?"

"I know you love DC, but we would be close to your sister, and with this new job, I can support you until you find something out there."

"This is crazy, Auggie!"

"DC hasn't been the best for you recently. This would be a fresh new start."

"What about you? You love it here."

Auggie shrugged. "I'm tired of looking at all the black suits."

Annie giggled.

Auggie lowered his voice. "And getting to know a new city would be far easier with you around."

Annie got up and went around the table. Auggie turned toward her just in time for her to sit sideways in his lap. "Yes." She said.

Then they had a very public, passionate kiss. A few of the people around them applauded.

...

"We are going to have a problem,"Annie said very seriously.

Auggie sat up, alert. "What?" He asked as his mind raced through the possibilities.

"I keep wanting to stare at this ring rather than look at the road."

Auggie relaxed and smiled.

"Did you pick it out?" Annie asked.

"I had some outside assistance."

"It's beautiful."

"So are you," Auggie replied. His fingers wandered to her leg, feeling the soft fabric of the dress she chose for the evening. He couldn't wait to explore the fabric more at his apartment.

Annie placed her hand on top of his for a moment, then returned to the wheel to park the car.

Once the door was closed to Auggie's apartment, he pinned her to it. "I love this dress." He said, his hands on her shoulders.

"I'll keep that in mind." Annie replied.

Auggie ran his hand over the fabric, which included leather panels over a silky material. It urged his hands to wander from her shoulders down to her hips. Annie watched his face and smiled. This man really did make her happy. She leaned toward him and joined their mouths in a gentle kiss.

In their brief relationship, Annie and Auggie had communicated so many important messages through a kiss. They jumped from friendship to romance not with words, but with a long heated kiss in Annie's guest house. When Annie was shaken up after killing Seth, Auggie was finally able to calm her nerves with a kiss. When Calder tried to break the pair up by sending Annie on a mission with no communication with Auggie, she said far more than "Goodbye" with a kiss in the parking lot. After Auggie declared that they should be back together, Annie didn't have time to tell him how much she agreed before Calder arrived at his apartment, so again, they kissed.

This kiss was as calming for Auggie's nerves as their first. Annie meet him halfway, her tender lips spreading into a smile after touching his. Like their first kiss, this caused Auggie to smile more broadly and push forward. Annie hesitated a moment, then opened her lips, as though reminding Auggie that she was still just a little bit closed off, but that she wanted to be open with him.

Auggie was gentle but persistent, as though telling her that she could choose her own pace, but making the direction that he preferred clear. Annie relaxed into his touch, and enjoyed the feeling his hands on her body. She pulled away, and saw the look of disappointment on his face before she spoke.

"Come," She said, pulling his hand toward his bed.

Auggie followed with a fire in his eyes. While their relationship had worked it's way close to where it used to be, they still hadn't slept together. When Annie got to his bed she turned her back toward him. "Unzip me?" She asked.

Auggie took his time finding the zipper and pulling it down. Annie worked out of the dress and then turned to Auggie and helped him remove his clothes. He kept his head turned toward her, his eyes narrowed with desire. When all of their clothes were gone, Annie stood in front of Auggie for a moment with her hand on his chest, staring. Auggie covered her hand with his own and stepped a bit closer. He used his other hand to cup her jaw and kiss her again.

This time there was no hesitation. Annie wanted him as much as he wanted her. They turned and fell on the bed.

Later that evening, Annie laid across Auggie as she had many times before she went dark, staring at him.

"I can hear you thinking." Auggie said softly.

"I'm just enjoying the moment." Annie replied, truthfully.

"Me, too."

He pulled her closer and pulled the blankets over their bodies. They enjoyed the rhythm of each other's breathing until they both fell into a peaceful sleep.


	5. Chapter 5

_**Short section today. More soon. Thanks for all the reviews! **_

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><p>Annie and Auggie carefully packed up Auggie's apartment over the next week. Auggie tagged each one with a number and made notes on his laptop about what was inside. They each had two suitcases to live out of until they unpacked the boxes in their yet-to-be-discovered new home.<p>

After the movers took everything except the suitcases, Auggie and Annie stood by the kitchen island.

"I've checked three times, it doesn't appear anything is left." Annie stated. "This place looks so different without furniture."

"Sounds different, too." Auggie said. Without the furniture and rugs, the hardwood floors and brick walls created an echo that felt like a cavern. He remembered that when he first moved to this apartment a few years earlier, he had the same observation.

"I got Calder to agree to send a repair crew out to fix the walls and uninstall my safe." Auggie explained.

"My safe is packed with my things, so we'll install that in the new place."

Auggie roamed around the room and felt the fixtures.

"Your old place was nice. What caused you to move here?" Annie asked.

Auggie shrugged. "Rent was going up, landlord was being an ass, and too many ex girlfriends had a key."

Annie laughed.

"I wasn't really looking to move. But the building manager here is a friend of a friend and it all seemed like a good deal. I wanted to move on a little from my old life."

"I understand that." Annie replied.

"I haven't lived here long, but this place holds a lot of memories."

"For both of us." Annie replied.

Auggie walked back toward her. "I'm looking forward to making new memories." He said, taking her hand in his.

"Me too," Annie replied.

As the plane rose above Washington, DC, Annie leaned over Auggie to watch the familiar sight fade from view. Auggie rested his hand on her back until she sat back into her seat.

"We'll be back." He said.

"It will never be the same." She said, quietly.

"It will be better."

Annie smiled and took the moment to stare at her fiance. It was a new feeling of stability for her, and she was trying to get used to it. Auggie would be there for her, and she would be there for him. They were going to share a life. The thought filled her with excitement and fear.

Auggie felt that it was all too good to be true. He had been in this place before - a place where he felt that he was with the love of his life. It had never ended well. Annie kept assuring him that this was real, that she really wanted this, but something within him doubted her.

"Do you think my sister will forgive me?" Annie asked, randomly.

"Yes," He replied without hesitation.

"How can you be so sure?"

"I've been there." He said.

Annie went silent, though she leaned her head onto his shoulder. "You did more than forgive her." It wasn't a question.

"I don't think you should sleep with your sister." Auggie whispered. He had hoped to get a little bit of a laugh. Instead, she took a slow deep breath.

"What am I missing?" He said, quietly, while he ran his fingers through her hair.

"Nothing," She replied, smiling into his hand.

"I'm sorry, by the way." He said.

"For?"

"For not waiting. I should have known we would be together soon enough."

"No, it could have ended differently. You were right to move on."

Auggie was quiet a moment. "The point is, I know what your sister is about to go through. Finding out about that sort of lie, it's a slap in the face. But with time, she will forgive you."

"Because you forgave Helen." Annie stated.

"Yes." Auggie said. It was a complicated subject, but there was no point dragging it out. He forgave her.

Annie was quiet for a little while. "I know I had to leave early that night, but I really am sorry that I had to bring you the news."

They were both being vague since the plane was rather crowded.

"It feels like a lifetime ago." Auggie responded. "I wouldn't have wanted to hear it from anyone else."

He squeezed her hand as she laid against his shoulder.


	6. Chapter 6

They checked into the San Francisco hotel mid-afternoon. Annie did a quick sweep while Auggie called the realtor who was going to show them a few apartments and let her know they had arrived. Auggie's new employer was going to pay for them to be in a hotel until a more permanent living arrangement could be found, but he and Annie wanted their own space as soon as possible.

"Home sweet home," Annie said when Auggie hung up the phone.

"For the time being, at least." Auggie replied. "What do we have?"

"It's a suite, so there's a separate bedroom and living area. Couch straight ahead, door to the bedroom to your right, fridge and microwave at your ten o'clock. Small table at eight. Things look clear." She threw the last part into the description, and he knew what she meant.

Auggie nodded and started exploring the rooms for himself. Annie put her suitcase on the dresser and pulled out her toiletries. "I'm going to freshen up." She explained.

Annie put the lid on the toilet and sat down. She was really doing this. She was about to go apartment hunting, with Auggie. She took a deep breath and reminded herself that this was the best thing to happen to her in a long while. Then she brushed her teeth, fixed her hair, and stepped out of the bathroom.

"Everything okay?" Auggie asked.

"Yeah," She replied. Lying had become such an easy habit. "Actually, no. But it will be. I was just a little overwhelmed with all of this."

Auggie turned toward Annie, but left space between them. "Are you upset?"

"No, just a little emotional."

Auggie raised an eyebrow. "Is it that nice of a hotel room?"

Annie laughed. "No. I just lost myself for a little bit, there."

Auggie walked over to her and put his hand on her shoulder. "Do you want to take the evening off? Postpone the apartment hunt? Or I could go without you, if you need some time. I can't promise what kind of place I would pick out, though."

"Sitting here, alone with my thoughts, is the last thing I want. I'll be fine." Annie assured.

Auggie nodded. "I'll be ready in a few minutes, then we should head to the lobby to meet with Eliza."

"There's a luggage stand at your two o'clock, if you want that. I put my stuff on the dresser."

"Thanks."

They walked into the lobby together and Annie immediately noticed the woman waiting.

"Eliza?" She asked.

"Oh, yes, you must be August and Annie." She said, standing and offering her hand.

"Nice to meet you," Auggie said as he offered his hand. The realtor took it with no hesitation.

"I didn't know how many places you two would be interested in visiting today. I know you just got off the plane and are probably exhausted."

"How many are there?" Annie asked.

"I have five picked out, but they are in several neighborhoods. I thought you might want to get to know the area a little bit. Neither of you have lived in San Francisco before?"

"That sounds good. Let's just see how we feel?" Annie replied without answering the question.

Eliza drove the couple to several apartments that all seemed to meet their needs. Auggie explored the functional aspects of each place, while Annie evaluated the levels of privacy and aesthetics. "The color of the paint on the walls doesn't matter, but it is nice to know they aren't full of bulletholes." Auggie commented.

At the end of the day, Annie and Auggie liked a couple of the options, and decided to take a few days to think about it.

...

Annie and Auggie were up early on Sunday.

"This hotel has a fitness center. Want to work out?" Annie suggested.

"Yeah," Auggie replied. "Do we have any bananas or anything?"

Annie placed his hand on the pile of fruit in the middle of the table. "I even took the stickers off the apples." She explained.

Auggie grinned. "Thanks," he replied.

"So, tomorrow, do you want me to take you to work?" Annie asked.

"Did you buy a car while fruit-shopping?"

Annie rolled her eyes. "No, but I thought you might like a helping hand."

Auggie sat back, but didn't respond.

"You've never been one to hold your tongue about if you want help or not."

"I've never had a first day at a high paying job in the private sector." Auggie responded. He looked genuinely stumped. "I'm trying to decide which would command more respect: fumbling to find the front door on my own, or having my gorgeous fiancé pass me off to security."

"Sounds like an easy decision to me." Annie replied as she took a bite of a banana.

"There's also the cover to work." Auggie added.

"This isn't about your cover. You aren't putting up a facade for two years." Annie said. "How about we go to the office today, I help you find the door, and then you can be on your own tomorrow?"

"But when would I show off my hot fiancé?" Auggie asked.

"Oh, I better be your screensaver."

"I'll make that happen." Auggie replied. "Then maybe you can meet me for lunch one day."

"Sounds like a plan."

"For now, let's go get sweaty. Fitness center or the bedroom. Your choice." Auggie said with a grin.

"Put on your shorts." Annie responded.

Auggie pouted and walked to the bedroom to change. Annie followed behind him to put on her own workout clothes.

...

"Well that was less than satisfying." Auggie said as they returned to the hotel room.

"The view was nice." Annie said. She spent most of her time in the tiny gym running on the treadmill watching Auggie operate the few weight machines available.

Auggie huffed in reply. "It won't be if I don't get a little more cardio in today." He wiggled his eyebrows seductively.

"There's room in here for you to do some burpees." Annie replied.

"Fine. I'll get a shower and we can tour the city some more."

…

"Okay, this is the building." Annie said as she and Auggie walked up to the entrance. She placed his hand on the door. "Looks like a security FOB on the left."

"That explains why it's locked right now."

"You got what you need?" Annie asked.

Auggie stood and took in the environment. He knew it would be different in the morning, with the increased traffic associated with a work day in the city. But that wouldn't change the 147 steps from the BART stop that got him to this door. "I've got it."

Annie brushed his arm to guide him back. "Then let's go get some dinner."

"How about that place in Ashbury Heights that smelled so good?"

"Sure. I liked the apartment we tried in that neighborhood." Annie responded.

Auggie shrugged. "It was as good as any of them."

"I thought you would prefer the loft." Annie commented.

"That definitely felt like home. But I thought you might like some more space. Or walls."

"Let's see what we think of this neighborhood and go from there."

Annie and Auggie arrived at the restaurant and were quickly seated. Auggie used his phone to look up the menu, and was pleasantly surprised that it was accessible. "I'm liking this place more and more." Auggie said as he listened to the options.

Annie quickly found a dish that looked good, and spent the rest of their decision-making time staring at her fiancé. He had an earbud in and was moving his finger around on his phone. Sometimes it was all fascinating to her.

Auggie stayed quiet as he put away the earpiece.

"Find something you like?" Annie asked.

"Yeah," Auggie replied.

The waitress arrived and took their order. Auggie ordered a beer and a shot of tequila.

"You okay?" Annie asked.

"Yeah." Auggie replied.

"Could have fooled me." Annie responded.

Auggie ignored her comment and sat back. "So, what's your plan for tomorrow?"

Annie took a moment to accept the sudden change in subject. "I'm going to look around the neighborhoods we saw yesterday. Maybe drop in somewhere for yoga."

"Eliza might have some other apartments to look at, if you call her."

"I may do that. Hopefully we can settle on something by the end of the week."

Auggie nodded. "That's all you, Walker. I trust you to make that decision."

The waitress arrived with their drinks and silence fell for a moment. Annie sipped on her beer and watched Auggie take his shot of tequila. He followed it with a drink from his beer.

Auggie took a deep breath as the liquor made its way into his system. He would never admit it, but he was starting to be nervous about his first day at the new job.

"We should start planning a wedding." He said. It was mostly to change his own train of thought.

Annie nodded. "Yeah. I, uh, thought I should talk to my sister, first."

Auggie softened. "Next weekend, then?"

"Maybe. Let's figure out where we are going to live, and go from there."

"Okay," Auggie responded. He took another drink and allowed silence to take over.

The food arrived and they each picked at their meal. When the waitress came by, they both asked for another beer.

"Now that we aren't working together, what will we talk about?" Annie asked, out of the blue.

Auggie stopped and looked toward her. "There's always the weather."

Annie laughed. "I'm serious. What if that was all we had?"

Auggie sat a second and truly thought about her question. "We will see less of each other. Well, I'll see as much of you as I always have, but in general, we can talk about normal stuff."

"Like, neighborhood gossip?"

"The girl behind me - at my seven - what is she drinking?" Auggie asked, randomly.

"Looks like water." Annie replied.

"She has gotten louder and louder, I would have sworn she was drunk."

"You're losing your spidey senses already."

Auggie shrugged. "No way. How about at my nine. Thirty-somethings that are well-put-together?"

"Yep."

Silence took over and Auggie actually had more interest in his food. After a few bites, he looked toward Annie for a moment.

"What is it?" She asked.

"Are you still a brunette?"

She was momentarily taken aback by the question. "Yes." She answered.

He nodded.

"I think I'm going to stick with it, for a little while." She explained.

"It doesn't make a difference to me." Auggie replied.

"You know, most boyfriends would get in trouble for being so apathetic about something this big, but I'm going to let it slide." Annie said with a smile.

"Thanks," Auggie replied with his own smile. "I do like the longer length."

"Then I'll keep that, just for you."

"You spoil me!"

...

The next morning, Auggie got up far earlier than Annie expected. He actually brushed his hair into place and put on a crisp white shirt with a dark tie and vest. Annie was just getting out of bed when he was ready to go.

"It's not going to take you two hours to get there." She quipped.

Auggie checked his watch and nodded. "I want to leave a little extra time, just in case."

Annie saw that he was fidgety. Not at all the normally cool August Anderson. She walked up and put her hands on his arms. "You are going to be fine." She asserted.

"I know that." He responded, unconvincingly.

She stood on her toes to give him a kiss on the cheek. As she came down she put her hands on his collar. It didn't need straightening, but that never stopped her before.

"Thanks," He responded.

"If you wait a minute for me to throw on clothes, I would go to the executive lounge with you to grab a bite to eat before you leave."

Auggie checked his watch again. "Okay."

Annie came back a moment later, looking far less dapper than her fiancé. He had his messenger bag over his shoulder and was putting his cane inside. "Ready?" She asked.

"Yep." He responded.

Auggie actually ate a muffin, which surprised Annie. He sipped a cup of coffee for five minutes before he got anxious again. "I should go."

"Okay."

She led him to the hotel lobby and watched as he squared his shoulders and plastered a cocky smile on his face. "I'll call you when I'm on my way home." He said.

"How domestic of you." Annie replied with a grin.

Auggie leaned over and gave her a kiss. "Knock em dead." She whispered.

She watched as he navigated out the front door and walked toward the bus stop. As he left her view, she sighed and went back into the hotel.

* * *

><p><em><strong>I feel like this chapter took us nowhere, but for some reason I wrote it all out. Later tonight, I'll post the alternate ending to Tumblr. My screenname there is Lovetoloveher80.<strong>_

_**Edited to clarify: The Tumblr story is an alternate ending for **_**this chapter_, not the whole story. The story is far from over. Sorry about the false alarm. _**


	7. Chapter 7

On her way back to the hotel that evening, Annie picked up a bottle of wine. Then she considered Auggie's state of mind recently and decided to grab an additional six pack of beer. Hopefully they wouldn't come out of this transitional period as alcoholics.

Annie had just poured the first glass and was sitting at the laptop looking at job options when Auggie got in. He was sitting his bag and cane on the table by the door while Annie watched and tried to gauge his mood, but he was too closed off.

"Hey, how was your day?" She asked.

"It went as well as could be expected." He responded. "How about yours?"

"I think I've picked the neighborhood I like best. There are a couple more apartments that we could look at. Do you want to go with me tomorrow evening?"

"How about I leave all of that up to you. As long as there is room for a bed and my turntable, I'm happy."

"Hm. The turntable would be nice right now. There's an iPod dock in here, though, if you want some music."

"Yeah. Mind if we stay in tonight? We could order room service."

"No problem. I picked up some provisions while I was out today. I have a bottle of red open, but also picked up some beer." She explained as she led him to the docking station so he could be in charge of music.

"Wine please." He said as he explored the device.

Annie brought him a glass. He kissed her on the top of her head as he took it, still getting the music set up.

"I'll take over from here," Annie said, noticing that the controls weren't intuitive.

Auggie didn't protest, simply walking to a chair and sitting. He put his free hand on the bridge of his nose and closed his eyes as he sat back.

"Dinner preference?" Annie asked softly.

"Not really. Just a burger is fine."

Annie went to order some food as Auggie sat with his wine, obviously thinking about something. When she was done, she walked back over.

"Anything you can talk about?"

Auggie laughed a breath and smiled. "Oh, sure. I'm not certain how to get the voice-over software to interact with the security system they use on their log-in. Shouldn't be a big problem, once I get my most tech savvy underling to stop being so nervous when he's helping with any of the accessibility details. Anything else, he's totally cool. They actually threw a programming detail at me today that I haven't worked with before, and I'm wondering if Eric has ever heard about it, if I should talk to Eric, and why I never knew about it. Also, there's a light in my office that buzzes, and I'm sure it would be frowned upon to just unscrew the bulb."

Annie smiled. "Just another day at the office." She said, mockingly.

"It's going to be more interesting than I expected. They are applying for me to have Top Secret Clearance in order to handle some of our contracts with the big weapons makers."

"Top Secret clearance huh? That's cool."

Auggie nodded and took a sip of his wine. "Hope I do well on the interview. My new coworkers say they send a federal investigator and everything." He winked.

Annie smiled. "I hope they don't talk to your old neighbors."

Auggie shrugged. "That place had thick walls."

"I know," Annie laughed. "You reminded me of that a few times the first time I stayed over."

Auggie blushed and sipped his wine. Annie topped off both of their glasses.

"Any luck on the job search?" Auggie asked.

"Lots. There's a social event Thursday in the arts community that we should probably go to so I can network. Feeling social?"

"Do I have to stare at paintings all night?"

"Nope. Hands-on sculpture exhibit."

Auggie raised his eyebrows. "Sounds good to me."

A knock on the door signaled that their dinner had arrived.

...

After dinner, Annie ran a bath in the garden tub and invited Auggie to join her. He sat between her legs and leaned back into her chest. She wrapped her legs around his waist and gently massaged his shoulders. They hardly said anything to each other.

Annie worked her hands into Auggie's scalp. As she gently worked her fingers around his temple he moaned with pleasure.

"Headache?" She asked.

Auggie sighed. "Yeah."

She didn't ask any more, only gently moving her fingers where he indicated felt best. After a few minutes he reached for her hand and pulled it around to his mouth. He placed a kiss on her fingers. "Thank you." He said.

"Not a problem." Annie responded.

He got out of the tub and she admired his naked body while he reached for a towel. He brushed his teeth while she toweled off. They met together in bed.

He pushed her hair out of her face, comforting her with his touch. Just when he thought she was falling asleep, she spoke again.

"I saw Danielle."


	8. Chapter 8

_**Sorry for the wait. I had some continuity issues. The chapter you are really wanting will be along quickly.**_

* * *

><p>Auggie sat up and turned toward her. "And you are just now telling me?" His tone was calm, though he was obviously alarmed.<p>

Annie slowly sat up and took his hands in hers. "She didn't see me. I just wanted to know how she was."

Auggie sighed. "I can't say I blame you."

"She looked happy."

"That's good."

"I don't want to interrupt her life."

"There's never a good time for something like this." Auggie reasoned.

"Could you look into her schedule and see? She always kept it online."

"Her schedule isn't going to tell you if she's happy."

Annie sighed. "Maybe a time that she doesn't have any appointments the next day or something."

"Yeah. I'll do that in the morning."

"Thank you," Annie said, sincerely.

"Anything else I should know?"

"Nope."

"Then come here." He pulled her toward him and they laid together in each other's arms.

...

Auggie reached over and turned off his alarm. He rested his head on the pillow for a moment, then, without warning, climbed on top of Annie.

"The edge of the bed is that way," Annie mumbled, pushing him back in the direction from which he came.

Auggie kept himself over her. "Nope. I don't get lost that easily. Time to go to the gym."

Annie groaned. "Okay," She said before pushing him again.

This time he easily fell to the side and rolled off the bed onto his feet. He walked to the bathroom while Annie tried to wake up.

"I'm really going to miss the heavy bag from our old gym." Auggie said as they walked toward the fitness center in the hotel.

"We'll find a new gym with the right equipment." Annie assured him. "Or we'll install one in our apartment."

Auggie nodded. "I like that idea. Think they would allow me to install one in my office?"

"I don't know. These West Coast tech companies are pretty progressive."

"Hm." Auggie said, his thoughts wandering. "I wonder if my office walls are glass or not."

"You should probably figure that out before it matters."

Annie and Auggie warmed up on the treadmill then moved to the limited weight selection. One other business traveler came in, but a look at the blind man on the pull bar was enough to cause him to stay on the treadmill.

Auggie was impressive and Annie found herself getting in very little workout as she watched him. She did work up a sweat, which Auggie noticed as they walked back to the room.

"Join me in the shower?" He asked.

"You don't have time." Annie replied.

Auggie felt for his watch, then realized he hadn't worn it to the gym.

"Seven oh five," Annie told him.

"Oh, I don't have time." Auggie said as he moved toward the shower.

...

"So, Friday?" Annie asked over dinner that evening, referencing a text that Auggie sent her mid-morning.

"Danielle has this weekend free. The girls have some soccer games, but Michael's schedule is also free. I made an appointment for a wedding consultation at the hotel on Friday."

"Did you use your real name?"

Auggie scoffed. "Of course not."

"That will put her in a good mood." Annie quipped.

Auggie sighed. "Would you prefer to break into her house unannounced?"

"Maybe."

Auggie shrugged. "I can cancel the appointment. You know her better than I do."

"No, this is fine. I'm just dreading it."

Auggie looked toward Annie and spoke softly. "It's going to be horrible, but we'll get through it."

"That's not really reassuring." Annie replied.

Auggie shrugged. "It's been a long day. Gonna need a more exciting problem for me to put actual energy into it."

"Hm." Annie said. "No energy, huh?" She said as she ran her hand over his leg.

"Maybe some energy." Auggie clarified.

"Energy to come to bed?"

"I actually need to do some work on the computer. Give me an hour? Then I'll join."

...

Thursday came quickly. Annie wanted to buy a new dress, but wore the one from the night Auggie proposed, instead. The Agency and Auggie's new job were paying for a lot of things, but she needed her spending to be realistic.

Auggie put on a crisp shirt and blazer. He waited patiently for Annie to put on her makeup.

"I promise we won't stay long," Annie said. "I just want to talk to the three executives that are hiring. My cover of being fired from the Smithsonian ruined a few of my connections. I need them to see how wholesome I am."

"That dress is hardly wholesome," Auggie replied, remembering when his hands explored the different textures.

"It looks more wholesome than it feels." She explained.

"If you say so."

She smiled. "I'm ready when you are."

Auggie wordlessly got up and walked over to her side. "Lead the way, darling."

Auggie and Annie entered the small warehouse space that had been turned into a gallery and Auggie took a deep breath. "I don't smell patchouli." He said.

"What do you think we are, Portland?" A stranger responded, then walked away.

"Oops," Auggie responded, realizing he was overheard.

"And I was going to use that as my new scent." Annie joked.

Auggie stood a little bit closer, hoping not to be overheard. "What's wrong with your old scent?"

Annie swallowed and put her other hand on Auggie's chest. "I just don't feel like it's… me anymore."

Auggie nodded and gave her a kiss on the top of the head. "The end of an era." He stated in a normal tone. "Now, what's this I hear about a hands-on exhibit?"

"Looks like it starts over here." Annie said, leading Auggie to the end of a long table of sturdy sculptures. She put his hand onto one with various textures and moving pieces. It didn't look interesting, but perhaps it would be better explored by touch. "I'm going to go grab us a drink."

Auggie had no idea what he was feeling, but it gave him a bit to explore. He was trying to determine if he thought it was interesting, or just a pile of crap, when somebody approached and put her hand on his back. "I guess you are the intended audience here." A woman's voice stated.

"Is that so?" Auggie asked in a tone that showed slight irritation, but wasn't rude. He moved away from her touch.

"It's the new trend in art around here. Multi-media, interactive, heck, there's even an artist that has put Braille on his paintings, but I assume you know about that." She motioned toward the cane Auggie was holding.

"Not really," Auggie replied. "I just moved to the area with my fiancé. She's actually the art buff in the relationship."

"Of course," The woman replied. "Well you should have her hunt that exhibit down sometime. It looks like crap, but perhaps for the intended audience, it's something special."

"I'll do that," Auggie replied. He could appreciate whatever the artist who's work he was exploring had done, but it was nothing he could get too excited about. He moved to the next piece that was a little more simple and explored that while he eavesdropped on the couples around him.

A couple of them were talking about him. It was something he was used to, and found pretty interesting at times. He preferred to hear what people were saying about Annie, and got his wish as she walked up.

"Sorry that took so long," She greeted as she pushed a beer into the back of his hand.

"Not a problem. I was just enjoying the art."

"Really?" Annie asked.

Auggie shrugged. "You talk to anybody?"

"Yeah, I met one lady at the bar that I have been wanting to talk to. Glad I did. I don't think I want to work for her." Annie made sure nobody overheard that detail.

"Now now, dear. I'm not going to support you forever." Auggie teased.

"Yes you would."

Auggie nodded. "Yeah. Probably."

They both laughed and leaned into each other. "Let's mingle," Annie said, touching Auggie's arm.

"Lead the way, sweetheart."

Annie led them around the room, targeting each potential employer like an asset. After the third conversation, Auggie pulled her aside.

"Annie, this isn't critical. You aren't running an op on these people. Though you are doing a great job, in that regard."

"I'm just trying to get to know them." Annie responded.

"Are you satisfied?" He asked. "Because as the blind guy at the art show, I'm ready to call it a night."

"One more." Annie said, noticing a man that was standing across the room. "You can wait here if you want. There's a table at your five."

Auggie turned and easily found a chair at the table. He sat back and took a long drink from his beer. He didn't hear anybody approach, so he was slightly startled when a woman's voice spoke.

"Hello there."

Auggie turned toward the voice but didn't speak.

"I'm guessing you aren't the art enthusiast in the relationship." The woman said.

Auggie smiled. "I prefer the ballet."

The woman stared, trying to determine if he was serious. At the long moment of silence, Auggie leaned toward the voice slightly. "That was a joke." He whispered.

"Oh," She laughed. "Sorry, I thought perhaps you just enjoyed the music, or that maybe I misunderstood the cane, or..." She faded as Auggie gave her one of his most charming smiles.

"You got the cane right. I'm here with my fiancé." He motioned in the general direction of the people in the room.

"Yes, I saw the two of you earlier." She said.

Auggie turned toward her and put out his hand. "Auggie Anderson." He said.

"Sheila Shields." She responded shaking his hand.

"Really?"

"Unfortunately."

"What is your connection with this event, Miss Shields?"

"Misses," She corrected.

"My apologies," Auggie replied.

"I'm here with my husband, who is currently chatting it up with your fiancé."

Auggie shrugged. "She's a talker."

"She's looking for a job?"

"Yes, we just moved to the area."

"Where from?" She asked.

"Washington DC," Auggie replied. His instinct was to evade, but that wasn't the life he and Annie planned to have.

"Wow, that's a big move. What brings you out here?"

"My job." Auggie replied.

"Is it that hard out there?"

Auggie looked confused. "I'm a programmer. I had three offers in the Bay area."

"Oh," She replied.

Auggie could tell that she was surprised at this news. It wasn't uncommon for people to be surprised at his employability. He shrugged. "We just needed to get away from DC."

"Well, welcome."

"Thank you," Auggie replied as he heard Annie approaching.

She pulled a chair close to Auggie and patted his leg. "Hi, I'm Annie." She introduced herself to Sheila.

"Shiela Shields." She responded.

"Oh, I think I was talking to your husband!" Annie replied.

"Yes. I was just getting to know your fiancé, as well."

Annie smiled. "Speaking of which, I was going to steal him away for the rest of the evening. Do you mind?"

"Not at all. Great to meet you Auggie."

"Likewise," Auggie responded.

Annie offered him her arm, and they walked out of the building.


	9. Chapter 9

Auggie was less enthusiastic when he woke up on Friday morning. "Wanna go workout?" He asked while still laying sideways, facing Annie.

"Sure," she responded.

Auggie didn't need to say that it was a big day for Annie. Annie didn't need to tell him how scared she was. He could tell by how fast she ran on the treadmill.

"I'm going to go to our potential new neighborhood today and look at the gym options. Whichever gives me a chance to hit a heavy bag, wins."

"Sounds great." Auggie responded as he stripped to get into the shower.

Auggie compartmentalized enough to focus on his work, which helped the day fly by. He was talking to one of the project managers when he checked his watch.

"I'm sorry, man. I didn't realize how late it was. I have to meet my fiancé for something. Should I come back later and finish this up?" Auggie asked.

"Dude. It's Friday night. Share a bottle of wine with your lady and we'll kick it out Monday."

Auggie raised his eyebrows. "I can pop in and wrap it up tomorrow if-"

"Wow. Do you not like your fiancé?" He interrupted.

"What does that have to do with anything?" Auggie asked, genuinely confused.

"Your work ethic is admirable, but take the weekend. This can wait until Monday."

Auggie smiled. "Got it." He was going to get soft working a normal, even if fast paced, nine to five.

When he walked into the hotel room, Annie was pacing. She was in the flat boots that she had preferred after her time in the dark.

"I've been thinking about this, and you know I trust your plans, but what if the hotel room is a bad idea? What if she starts yelling, and people call security, and then we draw more attention to ourselves than we should? Maybe we should reschedule at her office and let her feel more in control of the situation-"

Auggie stopped the frantic stream of worry by catching Annie's shoulders and standing in front of her. "It's going to be okay." He said. His tone was as much a command as a reassurance.

Annie took fast, deep breaths. He could feel her shoulders rise and fall beneath his touch. He pulled her close, her head resting beneath his chin. She held him tight.

"I hate what I did to her." Annie spoke into his chest.

"We can't change the past." He said, softly.

Annie took a deep breath and pulled away. "You are going to be late." She said as she checked that she hadn't messed up his shirt.

"Before I head down, I got you something special for tonight."

Annie watched as Auggie reached into his messenger bag and pulled out a bottle of Patron.

Annie smiled. "Contraband," she said softly.

"I figure it will be necessary by the end of the weekend, no matter what."

Annie kissed him on the cheek and pulled away.

"I'll be right back up, okay?"

Annie nodded. "Yeah. Let's do this."

She gave his hand a squeeze as he stepped away. She sighed as he stepped out the door. All she could do now, was wait.

Auggie stepped out of the elevator and into the lobby. He immediately heard the gasp and footsteps come toward him.

"Auggie?" Danielle asked. "What are you doing here?" Her tone was happy. She thought it was a coincidence.

"I'm your appointment." He explained.

Danielle stepped back. "You're getting married?"

Auggie bit his lower lip and dropped his head.

"You aren't getting married. You just wanted me to come."

"It's a long story. Sorry for the deception." Auggie replied. If only that was all he would need to apologize for.

"No, I understand. What's going on? Why did you come out to San Francisco?" Danielle brushed his hand, intending to lead him to a couch in the lobby. Auggie didn't accept the lead.

"Come upstairs with me, and I'll explain."

Danielle followed Auggie to an elevator. He pushed the button for a high floor.

"Wow. Living the high life on the Company dime, huh?" Danielle said.

Auggie smiled. "Yeah, actually, I am. But it's a different company. I work in the private sector now."

Danielle was shocked. "Really?"

Auggie nodded. "I'm working for a company out here. A technology consulting firm. Lots of big defense contracts."

"Wow." Danielle said. "You moved to San Francisco?"

"I'm in the process, yes."

"Is that why you wanted to see me?" Danielle asked as they walked down the hall.

"No," he said. He stopped in front of the door and looked toward her. "Danielle, I'm sorry."

"For what?" She asked, slightly hesitant.

He said nothing else and opened the door.

...

Annie stopped pacing when she heard Auggie's key card in the door. The buzz of the lock proceeded him turning the handle, and she forgot how to breath. She watched the door open and her sister walk through.

Danielle noticed the woman standing in the room, but it took her a moment to recognize her sister through the dark hair and sad eyes. The moment she did, she started to shake.

"Danielle, I'm sorry." Annie said as she rushed to her sister.

Danielle pushed Annie away as Auggie stepped aside. He considered going into the bedroom to provide privacy, but knowing he would hear everything anyway, he moved to the opposite corner and propped his cane in front of his body.

Danielle tried to control her emotions as she stared at the woman in front of her. She opened her mouth but couldn't get any words to come out.

Annie cautiously stepped forward. "Dani, I'm so sorry." She said, reaching forward to hug her sister.

Danielle stepped back.

"So, this was all some sort of mistake?" Danielle squeaked.

Auggie leaned forward and rested his forehead on the top of his cane. Danielle looked toward him. "You didn't know, right? You would never have told me that my sister was dead, if you knew she wasn't, right?"

Auggie didn't lift his face.

"Danielle," Annie said, reaching for her arm.

Danielle looked toward her sister. She lifted her hand to her face, touching her dark hair. Realization hit her. "There was no mistake." Danielle said.

"There were a lot of mistakes." Annie responded.

"Yeah," Danielle sneered. "But when HE told me that you were DEAD, was that a mistake?"

She stared at Annie, but Auggie answered. "No."

Danielle started to choke back tears as she walked toward Auggie. "No? You weren't mistaken when you told me that my little sister was DEAD?"

"Danielle, please. This wasn't his fault!" Annie said, running between her sister and Auggie.

"He told me you were dead. He cried next to me at your memorial. And it was all an act?" Danielle said.

"He didn't know if I was alive or not." Annie explained.

"But he knew far more than me. He'll always know far more than me."

Auggie stood up, facing Danielle. "Telling you was the most painful thing I have ever done." He said.

"Whatever," Danielle replied.

"It's not the first time I've had to deliver that news. Knowing that it may not be true, knowing that hopefully one day Annie would be here in front of you, making a liar out of me, that made it much harder."

"I'll never be able to tell you what I did, but I assure you, I couldn't have pulled it off without you thinking it was real."

Danielle turned and collapsed into a chair. Auggie went to the bottle of Patron, noting that the seal had already been cracked. He poured a little in a glass and offered it to Danielle. She took the liquid in one swallow, and looked Annie in the eyes. "It involved Henry Wilcox, didn't it?"


	10. Chapter 10

_"It involved Henry Wilcox, didn't it?"_

It took all of Annie and Auggie's training to hide their reaction to Danielle's statement. "Why would you say that?" Auggie asked, hoping he was giving Annie a chance to recover.

"Well, he was a big wig at the CIA, recently got out of prison, Annie was friends with his son, and I heard on the news that he passed away suddenly a month ago."

Annie poured herself a shot of Patron while Danielle continued. "Auggie, you told me what you could, but I knew there was something more to Annie's death. I did some research of my own when I got back to California. Henry Wilcox was released from prison just around the time Annie got too distracted to call me."

Auggie grinned. "She also started a new relationship around that time."

"I have no doubt that you were fully involved in whatever she was dealing with." Danielle said.

"This is silly. Henry died of a heart attack." Annie said. Her tone was even.

"I'm sure that's the company line." Danielle replied. She looked at her sister pointedly.

"I don't even know what you are thinking." Annie said.

"I am thinking that there was something going on with Henry Wilcox, maybe even related to when Jai died a couple of years ago, and that's why we had this 'mistake.'"

"You have a wonderful imagination." Annie replied.

Danielle looked at Auggie and knew he wasn't going to say anything more on the subject, either.

"So you are back now? You are suddenly not-dead?" Danielle asked, her tone was still accusatory.

"Yes."

"And we are all just supposed to pretend that this whole thing never happened? Because I don't know if I can do that."

"I don't expect you to." Annie replied. She was soft, trying to earn her sister's trust.

Danielle sat back a moment, thinking. Annie poured another drink and walked over to Auggie, offering it to him. As he took the glass from her hand, Danielle noticed the ring.

"Oh my God."

Annie and Auggie both looked toward Danielle.

"The ring." Danielle said, pointing at Annie's hand. "Auggie never actually denied me when I asked him if he was getting married. You two are engaged."

Annie took Auggie's free hand in hers and stood close. "Yeah," She said with a smile. "We are."

Danielle looked at the pair in front of her and sighed. "I guess you deserve each other." She said, her tone bitter. "Neither of you will find another person that puts up with so many lies."

The comment was a blow to both Annie and Auggie, who cringed at the words.

"I get it." Danielled added. "I'm happy for you. I just… I think I need some time to think about all of this."

She stood up as Annie walked forward. "Take all the time you need, Danielle. We will be here."

Danielle nodded.

"I want you to be my sister again. I know I have hurt you in ways I can never make up for, but I hope that you can forgive me."

Danielle touched her sister again, reminding herself that she was real. "I'll try."

Annie nodded.

"And don't go off and get married without me, okay?" Danielle added.

Annie fought back a tear. "I won't."

Danielle walked to the door, and with one last look at her sister, walked away.

Annie turned and was met with Auggie's arms. She took deep steady breaths but said nothing.

Auggie gently rubbed her back and held her tight until she was ready to step away.

"She didn't smack either of us." Auggie said, almost upset.

"She was unnaturally calm." Annie replied. "Thank you."

Auggie kissed her forehead. "You are welcome."

"One day, I do want to hear about my memorial."

Auggie grimaced. "It's a hell of a story. Can we skip it tonight?"

"Yeah. I need to get out of here. Let's go for a walk."


	11. Chapter 11

One week later, Annie and Auggie were standing in their new space surrounded by boxes.

"It looked so much more spacious when it was empty," Annie noted.

Auggie shrugged. "Was a little bit easier to navigate, too."

"How do you want to do this?" Annie asked.

"Bedroom, first?" Auggie asked.

"Yeah."

Annie found the right boxes and they moved to the bedroom. Auggie stood in their walk-in closet, while she handed him his clothes to put away.

"You want to know where all of mine are, as well?" Annie asked as they finished unpacking his clothes.

"Not really," He said with a grin.

They switched places and Auggie handed clothes to Annie from the boxes while she put them away. Most of them were packed up by the agency after her supposed death, and she hadn't seen them since. "It's like I'm opening presents to myself, and I love everything I picked out!" Annie commented.

"I'm sure you do. Are you really going to wear these shoes on these hills?" Auggie asked.

"I'm sure I'll find the right occasion," She responded.

Auggie shrugged and handed over another pair of what felt like ridiculously high stilettos.

They were moving on to making the bed when there was a knock at the door.

"I'll get it," Annie said, leaving Auggie to stuff the pillows into the cases.

She peeked through the peephole to see her sister standing with two bags.

"Danielle?" Annie said as she opened the door. She hadn't seen her sister since the night in the hotel.

"I had to come check on the place where my baby sister is going to be living." She said, pushing through the door.

"Um, we just got all our stuff," Annie explained, motioning at the sea of boxes.

Auggie came into the room, lacking his cane and proceeding carefully around the unfamiliar space and boxes. "Hey Danielle. Glad you could make it."

"Thanks for sending me the address." She replied.

"You could have warned me." Annie said to Auggie.

Auggie shrugged. "I didn't know she was coming."

Danielle snapped out of watching the banter between her sister and her soon-to-be brother-in-law. "I brought you some provisions." She said, lifting up the bag.

She moved to the counter and started pulling things out. "I made you a lasagna, salad, and some garlic bread. I figured you might not have utensils and plates and stuff, so I brought some disposables."

"Danielle, you may have every reason in the world to hate me, but right now I love you." Auggie said, walking toward the kitchen.

"Have you been starving him?" Danielle asked Annie.

"He's been just as capable of ordering room service as I have." Annie explained.

"I didn't fall in love with her for her cooking skills." Auggie added.

Annie blushed. She and Auggie didn't usually talk about things such as falling in love.

"I'll stick this in the oven." Danielle said. "Anything else I can help with?" She said, looking around.

"I'm sure there is," Annie said. "Auggie? You're in charge."

"How about you two work on decorating? I'll start to unpack the kitchen."

An hour later the three of them were eating Danielle's home-cooked meal at the kitchen island. Auggie had unpacked enough to find wine glasses and the coffee pot. As far as he was concerned, they could stop at this point.

"Danielle, this is delicious." Auggie commented as he ate the lasagna.

"I probably haven't had a home-cooked meal since I last saw you." Annie added.

"That's horrible. You two can't live like that."

"That's why we are moving close to you," Auggie said with a wink.

"We've gotten along just fine." Annie added, her tone was reassuring.

Danielle sighed. "I haven't told Michael about you, yet."

Annie nodded. "I understand." She didn't have to be happy about it, though.

"Did you ever tell the girls?" Auggie asked. When Danielle had come out for the memorial, she hadn't told Katia and Chloe what had happened. She had said she was waiting until summer, when it wouldn't interrupt their schoolwork.

"No," She stared at Annie. "I guess, somewhere deep down inside, I never believed it was true."

Annie smiled. "Oh, Danielle. I was so worried how this would affect them."

Danielle shrugged. "They miss you. They are hurt that you haven't called them."

"Say the word, and I'll be back in their life."

"I'll let you know." Danielle replied. "I need to get home soon."

Annie noticed the hesitance in her sister's voice regarding the girls. She choose to avoid pushing the subject.

"Thank you for coming over. It means a lot." Annie said.

"I'm excited for you two, and I'm glad you are close to us." Danielle replied.

Annie walked Danielle to the door and saw her out. When she turned around, Auggie was carefully navigating to the kitchen with his empty plate.

"More food?" She asked.

"No, I'm stuffed. I could use a reminder on where the trash can is, though."

Annie directed him to the trash and packed the leftovers in the fridge. "How much work do we have left?" Auggie asked.

"Maybe ten boxes?" Annie replied.

Auggie sighed. "Turntable and records?"

"That one we can get to easily."

Together, they installed the television and sound system over the next few hours. It was near two am when everything was just right and they collapsed on the couch.

"Do you want to listen to music now?" Annie teased as Auggie sat back with his eyes closed.

Auggie smiled, but kept his eyes closed. He raised his arm that was closest to Annie. "Show me to my bed, dear."

Annie pulled him up and carefully led him around the few remaining boxes. "It's clear the rest of the way. I'm going to push these to the side so-"

Auggie interrupted her words by pulling her along. "Nope. You are coming with me. The boxes are fine where they are."

"Okay." Annie replied.

She reluctantly left the few remaining boxes scattered around the room and followed him into the bedroom, climbed next to him under the sheets and they were sleep within minutes.


	12. Chapter 12

A week later, Annie and Auggie were all moved in to the apartment and Annie was getting ready for her new job in the corporate world. While the arts scene was nice, all of the positions wanted her to travel. There was no way she could explain her reluctance to go everywhere that she was currently wanted by the government, such as Switzerland and China. She needed a job that utilized her language and world skills without requiring her to travel, and thanks to the connections provided by the Shields, she quickly had an offer as a corporate negotiator.

She was excited about the position, which would involve spending her days on conference calls, video chats, and writing emails with people around the world. It was the most excitement she could find without extensive travel.

The couple toasted to the fast-paced developments. Everything seemed to be working out for their future.

"There's one detail left." Auggie said, lowering his glass.

"I'm ready," Annie replied. "Hack into my sister's schedule again and have her meet us at City Hall?"

Auggie raised his eyebrows. "You don't want something more fancy?"

"Oh, I'm wearing a nice dress. But everything else? I'm not interested in being in the spotlight. Are you?"

Auggie formed a grin and raised his eyebrows. "I'd be fine with no lights at all."

Annie kicked him under the table and laughed. "What about your family?"

"Yeah. I need to talk to them. Maybe take a trip to Chicago so you can meet everybody."

"I'd like that." Annie said. "Are you okay with them not being here for the big day?"

"Definitely," Auggie replied.

Annie smiled.

...

Annie's phone rang mid-morning on Saturday.

"Hello Danielle." Annie answered.

"You know, normal people call and discuss making plans together, rather than having their significant other hack into their calendar all the time."

"Hm," Annie replied. "How normal do you think we are?"

"Couldn't you pretend to be? For this one event? I want to see my baby sister walk down the aisle!"

"Sorry, Danielle. We do plan to have a reception with Auggie's family in Illinois. We will be happy to fly out you and the girls to be there."

"Really?"

"Of course!"

"Have you met Auggie's family yet?" Danielle asked.

"Nope. I am not convinced they really exist."

"This is going to be so much fun!" Danielle squealed. "Just tell me when, and we will be there."

"Okay. But for now, meet us at City Hall, okay?"

"Yes ma'am."

"And Danielle?" Annie added.

"Yeah?"

"I'd love it if you brought the girls."

The other end of the line was quiet a moment.

"Dani?"

"They have school that day."

Annie sighed. "I understand."

"No, I really mean it." Danielle pleaded.

"So do I. I understand, Danielle. I understand that you don't want me back in their life." She practically shouted.

Danielle was quiet a moment. "I'm doing the best I can, Annie."

"Yeah." She responded.

Danielle sighed. "They have a soccer game this afternoon. Put on a hat or something so you are easier to recognize and don't distract them until the game is over."

"Really?" Annie asked.

"Yeah. You are right. We have to do this sometime. I'm sure Auggie can find the address."

"Text it to me anyway. He's knee deep in something super geeky at the moment."

Danielle could hear Auggie shout "Hey!" in the background.

"Okay. See you there."

"Thank you, Danielle."

Annie hung up the phone and looked over at her fiancé who was wearing his headphones while sitting at the counter with his laptop, a carefully arranged collection of tiny electrical pieces, and a soldering iron.

"So, where were we?" She asked.

"You were just about to get a lesson in circuitry so that our homemade security system can be nice and small and incorporate the latest in classic Anderson technology."

"Okay. Let's get this over with. We have a soccer game to attend."

Auggie smiled and motioned to the table. "Then join me in my lab, dear."

...

"You are going to have to breath sometime." Auggie said. "It would be hard for me to get off this large, disorienting field if you are unconscious."

Annie laughed a breath, immediately feeling more relaxed. "Just go in the opposite direction of the screaming children and you'll be fine."

Auggie smiled. "The screaming children are why we're here, darling."

"Why does this make me more nervous than when we met with Danielle?"

"You had Patron that day."

"Tequila is generally frowned upon at twelve and under soccer matches."

"Parents are so overprotective these days." He said, jokingly.

Annie stopped, gently placing her hand on Auggie's chest. "I see the girls. They are coming to this side of the field. I'm going to wait until they are going the other way and we are going to sit on the fourth row of the bleachers, behind a large group of parents."

"Sounds good to me."

Annie and Auggie successfully snuck up the bleachers, with Annie giving a little wave to Danielle, who was sitting nearby.

"So, what's happening out there?" Auggie whispered in her ear.

"The girls are in blue. The other team is yellow. They are playing defense right now. Their goal is on this side of the field." Annie's breath hitched. She didn't think seeing the girls would make her this emotional.

Auggie put his hand on her back and rubbed in a gentle circle.

"They've grown up so much, Auggie." She whispered.

"That happens." He replied.

The crowd got louder as one of the girls kicked the ball to their side of the field. Annie scooted closer to Auggie in order to narrate the game.

He listened to the rise and fall of her emotions as the game progressed, happy that she seemed to be relaxing. Her commentary, as always, was just enough. She didn't bother giving him every detail, but filled in more of what was happening than the random exclamations from parents around them.

It wasn't long before the game was over and the parents were climbing out of the stands. Annie still kept her distance, letting Danielle control the meeting.

The girls weren't interested in their mother at all, as they were busy chatting with their teammates. Danielle walked over to her sister. "The hat is great. Makes you look more like you."

"Thanks, I think." Annie said. She was wearing a simple, thin knit hat that hid her dark hair. When she put it on, it didn't feel right, but Danielle had requested she do it.

"Ready?" Danielle asked.

"As I'll ever be." Annie responded.

* * *

><p><strong><em>Didn't really mean to leave you with a cliffhanger, but I had to stop somewhere, and these kids got a little bit out of hand.<em>**

**_Thanks for all the reviews! _**


	13. Chapter 13

Auggie moved his hand to Annie's and gave her a reassuring squeeze as Danielle called for the girls.

"Aw, mom," Katia responded, turning to give her mom a glare.

Instead of finishing her whine, her eyes widened. "Annie!" She shrieked. She grabbed Chloe's hand and ran over to her aunt.

Annie dropped Auggie's hand to catch the girl in a big hug. "Aunt Annie! I missed you so much!"

"I missed you, too Katia."

Chloe finally caught up with her sister and crashed into Annie.

"Annie Annie Annie!"

Annie turned to Chloe and gave her a hug.

"Do you remember Auggie?" Annie asked, turning toward him.

Auggie smiled. There was silence for a moment. "Why don't you have your stick?" A little voice asked.

Auggie laughed. "Because your aunt was guiding me. It's in this bag." Auggie reached in and pulled out his cane.

"Oh!"

"Are you guys here for the Smithsonian?" Katia asked.

"I, we, actually don't work for the Smithsonian anymore. We have jobs out here."

"In California?"

"Yep." Annie responded.

"So we are going to see you all the time?"

"Maybe." Annie responded, teasing.

"We haven't you Skyped with us?" Chloe asked. "Mommy said you didn't feel good. Are you better?"

Annie glanced at Danielle. "I'm getting a little bit better all the time."

"Are you going to come live with us?"

"No, Auggie and I have an apartment of our own." Annie asked.

"Are you two getting married?" Chloe inquired in the classic bluntness of a child.

Annie reached for Auggie's hand. "Yes, we are."

The two girls squealed and jumped around in circles.

"See, Danielle, that's the sort of reaction that makes a girl feel special."

Danielle glared at Annie's comment.

"I guess they forgive you." Auggie said, close to Annie's ear.

"Yeah, thanks to you."

"What can I say? Kids love me."

"They still aren't coming to the wedding." Danielle interjected. "They really do have school."

"I understand." Annie replied.

"They will enjoy Chicago more." Auggie replied. "They can terrorize my brothers' kids."

"You have a brother?" Danielle asked.

Auggie nodded. "Four of them."

"Oh my God." Danielle replied.

Auggie laughed at her tone. It was the exact tone that most people used when they realized he was blind, full of sympathy and pity. "It's okay. I've already survived that part of my life." Auggie replied.

"Your poor mother."

Auggie genuinely smiled. "She did suffer. But she survived."

"Aunt Annie can I be the flower girl?" Chloe ran up, asking.

"Well, actually..."

"No! I get to be the flower girl!" Katia interrupted.

"I was just telling your sister, we are just having the party. There won't be any flower girls, bridesmaids, or even a priest."

"But you are getting married."

"Yes," Annie replied. "Just not what you are thinking. It's just going to be the two of us."

"Are you going to wear a dress?" Chloe asked.

"Maybe." Annie replied. "But you girls will get a special role in all of this. I promise."

The girls started dancing around again, talking at the same time. Annie looked up at Danielle "Are you going straight home?"

"Why don't we all go out for pizza?" Danielle suggested just loud enough to get the girls' attention.

"Pizza!" They shouted.

Hours later, Auggie and Annie walked into their apartment with a case of beer. "Do you hear that?" Auggie asked.

Annie stopped and listened for a moment, confused.

"It's quiet," Auggie whispered.

Annie smiled. "Thank you for coming with me today. I know how you feel about hanging out with big crowds of kids."

Auggie scoffed. "I wouldn't have missed it." He replied, opening a beer while Annie put the rest in the fridge. "I like kids."

"That wasn't what you said when you had to take thirty of them on a tour through the Smithsonian."

Auggie shrugged. "Well, you have to admit, I was stretching my abilities a good bit that day."

Annie was quiet a moment, taking a long drink. Auggie walked to the turntable and put on some music. He looked toward her and raised an eyebrow.

"I guess that's one of the things people talk about before planning to get married." Annie said.

Auggie stopped mid-sip. "Kids?"

"Well, yeah. I mean, I always assumed you weren't interested in having kids, but we never really talked about it, and really, with our lives, with my life, I can't imagine... why are you grinning like that?"

"Because you are cute when you are babbling."

"I'm not babbling."

"Walker, don't worry. I'm not marrying you to start a family. I like kids, I always assumed I would have some of my own-"

Annie coughed. "Some?"

Auggie grinned. "What can I say? I come from a big family."

"Auggie, I can't imagine being a mother."

Auggie nodded. "I know."

They were quiet a moment.

"Does that bother you?" Annie asked.

"Life is full of twists." Auggie replied. "I've learned not to expect anything to go as planned."

"But this isn't an unfortunate accident. This is a choice."

"One that I agree with."

"Even though you have always imagined..."

"Annie, stop. Don't worry. I really didn't imagine our life together ending up with two-point-five kids and a picket fence. I'm fine with not planning to have kids."

They were both quiet for a moment while the calm jazz filled the room.

"I keep expecting something to go wrong." Annie said.

Auggie smiled in her direction and laughed a breath. "Me too."

"I mean, beyond everything that has already gone wrong."

"Honestly Annie, after all we've been through, I think we know we can handle ups and downs in our relationship."

"Oddly, I'm not worried about the big things."

"Me either," Auggie replied.

They were quiet a moment.

"You know I can't cook, right?" Annie asked.

"Shit, really? I thought that if I just got you a good set of pans..." Auggie replied, getting a push from Annie.

The two of them laughed, and another moment of silence fell.

"You know I can't see, right?" Auggie said. His tone was soft, almost vulnerable.

Annie lifted her hand to the back of his head, running her fingers through his hair.

"Now is when you make a joke about having to drive." Auggie prompted.

"You know we don't have a car, right?" Annie said, softly.

"One day you could buy a car. I'll still be blind."

She stared at him a moment, thinking about his words. "It was while I was in Sweden, wasn't it?"

He narrowed his eyebrows. "It?"

"Something happened that changed the way you saw yourself."

Auggie still looked confused, but relaxed a little. "Yeah."

Annie sipped on her beer. "Care to tell me about it?"

Auggie shrugged. "Not much to say. I had an MRI and it showed that I'm still blind."

"Liar." Annie bluntly replied.

Auggie looked shocked. "We joke about it a lot, dear. But I promise that I'm not faking the eyes."

She kept her tone serious. "There was something else. You had hope when I left town. It wasn't a routine MRI."

"MRIs are never routine." Auggie shrugged. "I was hoping I could get in a new stem cell study. I didn't qualify." His last words were rushed.

"Hm." Annie replied. Auggie looked puzzled at her tone. "I wondered if anything like that was an option. But it's not like we have had much of a chance to discuss our medical history."

"There isn't much about it that matters, when it comes to my eyes. I'm blind, and there is no cure."

"Auggie, I know I'm marrying a blind guy. I know that means that our life together will be different than most. You know you are marrying a killer, right?"

Auggie sat up, shocked. "Is that how you see yourself?"

"See myself?" Annie asked. "That's who I am."

"That's not your identity, Annie. You didn't randomly kill somebody for personal gain. You were a soldier."

"I wasn't following the rules of war."

"Neither was the enemy." Auggie argued.

Annie took a deep breath. "My point is, I'm not a normal girl. Emotionally, I've got a lot of baggage. That's never been a big deal to you before, but it's a big deal."

"Your emotional baggage hardly affects our day to day life like my inability to see."

"It's one of the reasons you know me so well, you know." Annie explained.

"Do tell." Auggie said. "Actually, let me get another beer, then tell."

"My first day was so overwhelming, and I was so far over my head. I felt like everybody was reading me, ranking me, and judging. When we were together, I didn't have to plaster a smile on my face, I didn't have to pretend to be confident. I could relax."

"I was still reading, ranking, and judging, you know."

"Hm. How did I fare?"

He reached toward her and his hand found her arm. "You were doing great until you drank from my coffee mug."

Annie giggled. "Oh, yeah. The little things. I always drink a little bit from your coffee."

"I can live with that." Auggie snaked his hand to behind her head and leaned in for a kiss. "As long as you know how to brew more."

* * *

><p><strong><em>Reviews are love :) <em>**


	14. Chapter 14

_**Thank you for all of the reviews! It is entirely coincidental that WillyNilly23 and I posted about this same subject today. But I assure you, this is completely different. You should definitely read her version, as well! **_

* * *

><p>Auggie woke up before the alarm and listened for a moment.<p>

He and Annie had been living together for a month now, including the time in the hotel, and their lives had come together seamlessly. For two people that were so fiercely independent, this was a pleasant surprise.

In that time, Auggie had become more in tune with Annie. One part of this was being able to tell, by the small changes in her breathing, if she was awake or not. This morning, she was definitely awake.

"Not having second thoughts, are you?" Auggie asked, gently running his fingers through her hair.

"No." Annie said, definitively.

Auggie continued to explore her body with his hands, urging her to move closer to him in the bed.

"Hey," Annie said as his hand wandered over her backside. "It's bad luck for a blind groom to feel up the bride on the wedding day."

"You aren't the type that needs luck." Auggie replied. His tone and facial expression was fully seductive.

Annie melted at his words. "How long have you been planning that one?" She said with a smile.

"Since your sister tried to separate us last night."

Annie giggled.

Auggie brought his hand to the side of her face. "Let's get married, Walker." He said, giving her a chaste kiss.

"We should probably put on clothes first." Annie replied.

A few hours later, Danielle watched as a ridiculously high heeled shoe emerged from a cab at the city courthouse. Annie had on a form fitting ivory dress. With the shoes, she was only a couple of inches shorter than Auggie, who also looked fabulous in dark slacks, vest, and a tie.

"I didn't realize we were dressing up." Danielle said.

Annie smiled. "I haven't had a chance to wear these shoes in a while."

Danielle handed over a small bouquet. "I thought these would be a nice touch."

Annie took the flowers as Auggie inhaled. "Thank you for skipping the calla lilies." He said.

"Oh, definitely." Danielle replied. She usually advised against the flower since it reminded some folks of funerals.

The three people walked into the building and headed to the room where they had an appointment for the small ceremony. Annie fought a gasp when they stepped through the doorway and placed her hand over Auggie's.

Auggie recognized Annie's surprise and looked toward her, hoping for an explanation.

"Anderson and Walker, I presume." Spoke the familiar, no-nonsense voice of Calder Michaels.

Auggie let a big grin spread across his face. Danielle assumed it was just because it was time for the marriage.

"I'm glad you are a little early. I have a plane to catch later. I assume you have the paperwork?" Calder asked.

Annie handed the folder over to Calder, who pretended to look through the documents. "Mister Anderson, were the translated documents sufficient?" Calder asked, referring to the Braille version of the marriage license.

"Yes sir." Auggie replied, somewhat mockingly.

"Then let's get this started. Are you sure you don't want an audience? We have plenty of traffic violators waiting their turn down the hall."

"No, thank you." Auggie responded.

"Your loss." Calder responded. "So are you her sister?" He asked to Danielle.

"Yes," Danielle responded.

"Okay, so. Do you, Annuh-" Calder caught himself and started coughing."Sorry about that. Do you, Anne Catherine Walker, take August Anderson to be your lawfully wedded husband?"

"I do." Annie responded.

"And do you, August Anderson -no middle name?"

Auggie snapped his attention toward Calder. "No." He said bluntly.

"O-Kay. Do you take Anne to be your lawfully wedded wife?"

"I do." Auggie said.

"Then that's it." Calder said shortly. "You are now married."

Danielle scowled at how informal the man was. "That's it?"

"You wasn't a formal ceremony, you don't do it in an office at the courthouse." Calder replied.

Annie and Auggie were quietly exchanging rings, ignoring the others. "We're married." Auggie said quietly, his face lit with a big smile. They leaned their foreheads together.

"If you two want to kiss, get it over with." Calder said.

Annie meet Auggie's lips and they briefly locked. When they pulled back, both appeared more relaxed than any time in the past year.

"Congratulations. Here is some paperwork, instructions on changing your name, if you wish, stuff like that. I hope you have a great life."

"Thank you so much," Annie replied. She offered her hand and smiled at Calder as he shook it.

"Yes, we really appreciate this." Auggie said.

"Just doing my job."

Annie and Auggie left the room. Auggie was closer to her body than normal and they were both glowing with excitement.

"I can't believe how insincere that man was!" Danielle said.

Annie shrugged. "It was what we expected. I kind of liked him."

"Danielle, do you mind giving us a ride back to the apartment?" Auggie changed the subject.

"Sure."

Annie slid in the backseat with Auggie, not wanting to lose the contact. It was a short drive to their building, where Danielle gave them a bottle of champagne and demanded that Annie call.

As soon as the door to their apartment slid closed, Auggie turned toward Annie. "So, what was in Calder's package?"

Annie giggled. "Let's find out."

She opened the manila envelope that the agent had handed them and pulled out the stack of paperwork, most of which was in Braille.

"Looks like they haven't uninstalled your old printer. Other than the actual paperwork, everything here is for you."

Annie handed the documents to Auggie and watched as he ran his fingers over the print. "Congratulations from our friends back in DC." He explained.

Auggie smiled as he read the text.

"Dear Mister and Misses Anderson," Auggie read aloud. "I like the sound of that." He interjected.

Annie refrained from pointing out that he had heard it before. "Go on!"

"We wanted to let you know how excited we are that you are finally getting married. Know that you are missed back on the East Coast. Good luck in the private sector.

"Just pretend this is a big fancy card, and we all signed it."

Auggie ran his fingers over the next line and his eyes widened. "Um," He bit his lip before continuing. "I think different parts are written by different people, because the next line says 'Give the rest of humanity a chance by not making too many ridiculously smart and beautiful babies.'"

Annie giggled.

Auggie skimmed the top of the other papers. "I don't think there is anything urgent here. Let's go ahead and get to the airport."

"Yeah. Give me a moment to change."

Annie and Auggie stepped to the curb where a black towncar was waiting to take them to the airport. They slipped in the backseat and Annie saw the face of their driver in the rearview mirror.

"Where to?" Calder asked.

"You know, Annie, it feels like somebody has been spying on us." Auggie joked.

"I thought the purpose of us coming out here was to disassociate with the Agency for a while." Annie said. Her tone was slightly accusatory.

"There are a lot of people back home that care about you." Calder explained. "And I'm the only one that isn't overt and wasn't at your memorial."

"So that's all this is? You checking in?" Annie asked.

"Walker," Calder started.

"Anderson," Replied both voices in the back seat simultaneously.

Calder smiled at the correction. "Annie, a lot of us really care for you. Well, we care for Auggie at least. And now that you two are so tight you are speaking in unison, that probably means you have some new connections. This isn't a check in. It's a friendly visit. Did you get your card?"

"Yes, thank you." Auggie replied. "Anything else in that packet we should know about?"

"Just the paperwork for Annie to change her name the old fashioned way."

"With a hot knife while hiding from the law?" Annie asked.

"With a six week wait and trip to the DMV." Calder replied.

"Ugh." Annie replied.

Auggie kept her hand wrapped in his while they drove and caught up with Calder. When they arrived at the airport, the active agent said "Interesting destination choice, by the way."

"We wanted to go somewhere we've never been before." Annie explained.

Calder laughed. "Well enjoy your honeymoon in Wyoming."

"We will." Auggie replied. "Thanks for coming out. We'll talk in a couple of years."

"Sure thing."


	15. Chapter 15

After breezing through security, the newlyweds got coffee and sat together waiting for their plane to board. Auggie reached for Annie's hand and smiled when he felt the cool metal band in addition to the diamond ring.

Annie watched him move his careful fingers over the rings while she sorted her emotions. It wasn't the typical wedding day, and now it felt so ordinary. The two of them were sitting in the airport, hand in hand, going on a quick honeymoon.

"Think we'll see any moose?" Auggie asked.

"No," Annie answered quickly. "But I might."

Auggie grinned. "If it makes you happy, that's good enough for me."

Annie leaned over and gave him a peck on the cheek. "You make me happy." She said, quietly.

They talked very little on the flight. When they got to the rental car stand, Auggie tried to get the attendant to provide him with a vehicle until Annie pulled him away. The drive to the resort was uneventful, passing an empty elk reserve. They quickly checked in and walked to their room.

"Ah... Finally... Just you and me." Auggie said as he swept his cane to explore the space.

It did feel like they were alone together a lot. "Maybe we shouldn't have picked such a solitary honeymoon?" Annie replied.

"Oh no. This is great. Roses?"

"Yeah. Petals on the bed and an arrangement on the table at your ten o'clock."

"Romantic." Auggie said.

Annie stood still, watching him move around. Auggie wondered why she was being so still, and was surprised when his cane made contact with her leg.

"You okay?" He asked. Not because he was worried about having hit her, but that she would allow herself to be hit.

"Yeah," She replied quietly. Then, without warning, she pulled his head down and kissed him.

Auggie responded quickly by wrapping his arms around her body and deepening the kiss. She pushed him back toward the bed until they fell in a heap. Auggie's cane tangled with their limbs until Annie pushed it off the side of the bed. Eventually it was at the bottom of a pile that grew as they relieved themselves of their clothes.

...

The next morning, Annie and Auggie drove to the Snake River where they met with a guide that took them out on a raft over the soft rapids. They stopped for a picnic lunch where they could be secluded from the guide. They sat next to each other on a rock where they could hear the water flowing over the rocks.

"The mountains are beautiful from here," Annie said.

Auggie nodded. "The Snake River is where Ansel Adams took a lot of his famous photography."

Annie raised an eyebrow. "That's why it looks so familiar."

Auggie leaned into her. "I really liked Ansel Adams' stuff. In high school I decided that I would have to come out here sometime and see it for myself." He shrugged. "This will have to do."

Annie wrapped her arm around his waist, pulling them closer together. "I was wanting some art for our apartment. I think one of those prints would be perfect. A reminder of our honeymoon."

Auggie grinned. "That works for me."

She kissed his shoulder and looked toward the Tetons. "They are magnificent mountains. Completely capped with snow right now. We will have time after this to do a little bit of hiking, if you want."

"That's up to you. I'm fine with saving my energy for other workouts."

Annie smiled. "Oh," she teased. "I'm sure we can find you a heavy bag somewhere in Jackson Hole."

Auggie laughed and leaned his cheek against the top of her head. She sighed against his chest. They sat like this a little while before the guide quietly walked up behind them.

"Sorry to interrupt," he stated. "We need to get back on the river in about ten minutes."

"Thank you," Auggie replied, feeling his watch.

As soon as he heard the footsteps recede, Annie's mouth met his for a kiss.

...

The next day, Auggie and Annie headed back to California. It was a short and simple weekend honeymoon, but they wanted to save their vacation time for the trip to Chicago a month later.

Walking into their home felt too simple. There was no looming mystery, no cover to arrange, no boxes to unpack, just the two of them together with a normal life.

Auggie moved to his computer while Annie unpacked the one small bag they had taken. There was an Ansel Adams post-card in the top of the bag that she pulled out. Her mind wandered to thoughts of a teenage Auggie who looked at these pictures and was inspired to explore the world. The picture now served as a sign of him opening up to her a little more. She found a piece of tape and taped the postcard to the bedroom wall. That would do until she could get a framed print.

Annie walked out of the bedroom, looking at her husband who was engrossed in something on the computer, and noticing the pile of paperwork from their wedding day. She pulled it out and started completing the steps necessary to change her name.


	16. Chapter 16

Annie was about to go to bed when Auggie walked in the front door. He methodically put his things in their places and walked to the kitchen. Annie watched from the couch as he poured a shot of Patron and leaned against the counter.

"Have you eaten anything?" She asked softly.

Auggie appeared slightly startled at her voice. "I'm fine," he replied quietly.

"I was worried. Your phone was going straight to voicemail."

"Yeah," he replied, irritation evident. "Battery and backup charger were dead."

Trying to get away from the conversation, Auggie walked to the bedroom. Annie let him have his space and soon heard the shower start running. It ran for far longer than normal before he emerged from the bedroom in his softest cotton pants and t-shirt.

"I made you a sandwich. It's to the right of the stove."

"Thanks." He said, moving to find the food. He also got a beer from the fridge and walked over to Annie, sitting on the opposite end of the couch.

"Anything exciting?" He asked before taking a large bite.

"Just keeping up on my Russian politics." She replied. "Nothing out of the ordinary in that regard."

Annie could tell that Auggie was holding back his own frustrations. "You want to tell me what happened to you?"

"Just having a blind day." Auggie said.

"This is the third time you've said that this week. What's going on?"

Auggie looked a little surprised. His expression quickly softened and he shrugged. "I don't know the city. Things just happen. Today I ended up on the wrong street. Took me a little while to get re-oriented, encountered a few overly friendly folks along the way. Went up and down a few hills I hadn't anticipated. But all's well that ends well."

Annie wondered how big of a deal this really was. "What can I do to help?" She asked.

Auggie shrugged. "It's all me, dear. I just have to make sure I keep my phone charged."

"And the other two times this week?" She asked.

"More of the same."

"And at work?" Annie asked.

"I'm not sure what you are getting at, but I'm blind at work just as much as at home and during my commute." Irritation started to creep into Auggie's tone.

Annie was quiet. Auggie took his plate and empty beer bottle to the kitchen where he rinsed the plate and put the empty bottle in the recycling. He ran his hand over the countertops, reminding himself that he really knew where everything was. When he reached the end of the bar he slammed his palms onto the surface.

"I'm thirty four years old," he said quietly, "And I lost twenty minutes of productivity earlier this week because I turned the wrong way out of the restroom after taking a piss."

He looked toward Annie. "You know how fast people lose respect for you after something like that?"

Annie was slightly shocked at the admission. She quietly responded. "No, because you have never had that kind of problem before."

Auggie sighed. "That you know of." He said, pointedly.

"I knew Langley. I knew DC. I didn't realize how big of a difference that made."

"You will know San Francisco soon enough."

Auggie shrugged.

"And I know you can go a really long time without pee-" Annie was cut of by what sounded like distant thunder, except they could feel it all around them.

"Earthquake." Auggie said definitively.

Annie ran over to him. "Should we-"

"No, it is already over." Auggie said. He wrapped his arms around her, tightly.

"Are you sure?" Annie asked, even though she couldn't feel anything else.

"Yep. It was small. I'm sure people that have lived here a while hardly felt it."

However, Auggie could feel that Annie was still shaking in his arms. He leaned over and gave her a reassuring kiss on the top of her head. "It's okay."

"I'm so glad you got home before that happened." She said into his shirt.

"It's actually safer if you are outside of a building."

"Only if you are with me." Annie replied, looking up at him. "If I didn't know where you were, and a big one hit…" She couldn't finish the sentence.

"Shhh." Auggie soothed. "I'm here, and you aren't the worrying type."

She responded by pulling away from him a little and nodding. "Yeah."

"I guess that now, we are officially Californians. Let's check USGS and see what we survived." Auggie released Annie and turned for his computer.

Annie pulled him back.

"No. Check in the morning. I want you now."

Auggie leaned close. "But what if we need to check in, dear?"

"Eric will call." She said before silencing him with a kiss.

Auggie pulled back slightly after the kiss. "And do you really want him interrupting whatever you are thinking about?"

Annie pouted. "Don't be so practical, Mister Anderson. Take me to bed."

"Whatever you say, Misses Anderson." He said with a smile.


	17. Chapter 17

_**This story is completely brought to you by WillyNilly23, who emailed me the whole idea, and even a few lines to use.**_

* * *

><p>"Hey, some of the guys at work go out for beers on Thursdays. I should make an appearance tomorrow. You wanna join?"<p>

"You want to show off your hot wife to your new friends?" Annie teased.

"Yes." Auggie replied, very serious.

"Okay." She replied cheerfully. "I should be on a normal schedule tomorrow. Just tell me when and where."

…

Annie actually had time to go by the apartment before meeting Auggie and his new coworkers at the brewery. She was a little bit nervous about making Auggie look good, so she touched up her makeup and changed clothes… three times. She finally settled on some blue jeans, her favorite black heels, and a button down shirt that she only buttoned up to just above her bra. She smiled at herself in the mirror before catching a cab to the brewery a half-hour after Auggie said they would be there.

"Holy shit." Jasper said, loud enough for half of the bar to hear.

"What?" Auggie asked.

"I think she's at the wrong place. No women like that come to our nerd hangout." Charles replied.

Auggie smirked. "This would be when I impress you by giving you a physical description of the woman you are oogling, but instead - Annie!" Auggie shouted her name.

The men gawked as the sexy brunette practically bounced over to their new colleague. There was a chorus of appreciative comments until she got close to the table, which made Auggie smile.

"Hey babe," She said as she slid next to him. She leaned over and gave him a kiss on the cheek.

"Hello dear." Auggie drew out. "These are my coworkers. Coworkers, this is my wife, Annie."

"H-h-h-hello, Annie." Charles said, quietly. He held out his hand. Jasper simply nodded.

"They are still there, aren't they?" Auggie whispered loudly to Annie.

"Yeah. Nice you meet you guys. I've heard so much about you."

"Really?" Charles squeaked.

"Yeah, well, as much as he's allowed to say." She gave them a knowing smirk.

"D-d-d-do you want s-s-some beer?" Jasper asked.

"Oh, I got a pitcher. You just need a glass." Auggie explained.

"Okay," Annie said. She got up and walked to the bar, giving the guys a second to pounce on Auggie.

"Oh my god, man. She's unreal. Does she wear those shoes all the time?"

"She used to, but now she only wears them a couple of times a week." Auggie replied. He had recognized the sound of Annie's super-tall black Louboutins. It was really cruel of her to wear those into this little geek bar.

"She's being swarmed at the bar, should I go rescue her?"

"She can fend for herself just fine." Auggie replied.

"She's unreal."

"Oh, I assure you that she is real." Auggie drew out as he heard her walking back. There probably weren't five other women at this geek hangout, and he was certain none if the others would be in heels.

Annie tried to ease the guys' nerves by asking them questions. All of which they answered with incredibly technical answers. Sometimes Auggie translated. Sometimes they simply forgot she was there and condescendingly spoke of the audacity of a recent startup to think their system could operate on the servers they had installed. Most of it was completely foreign to Annie.

She let her thoughts stray to the fact that Auggie was so fluent in these areas that she never had an interest to be. He knew several languages, of course, but then the technical world was another language entirely.

Braille was also his language, but she was studying a bit of that around the house. She needed to be able to leave Auggie quick notes with the slate and stylus.

Her thoughts drifted back to the bar. This was never the sort of crowd that she would have sought out. While most of the people there likely earned six figure salaries, they all had on blue jeans and most had on t-shirts. Style wasn't a priority. But the atmosphere was jovial, and it felt warm. At least she knew not to wear the Loubs next time.

While Auggie was empathetically talking about something she hardly understood, a voice came to her from the left. "He's something special."

Annie turned to see the source, a smaller, mousey type guy that seemed almost too stereotypically geekish. "Thank you," she replied.

"When we heard we were getting a new manager that was Special Forces, we were not excited. The guys with a military background can be pretty harsh to work around. But Auggie has turned out to be really cool. He knows his stuff but he's not a dick about it."

Annie smiled at the description.

"Has he always been this way? Or did this," he motioned at his eyes, "soften him up?"

"I didn't know him before." Annie answered. "But I think he has always been a dork at heart."

"Hey!" Auggie said. "I heard that."

"Well?" Annie asked, leaning into him.

"I used to be a complete dick." He replied jokingly. "Once we get in a regular routine, I'll start punching these guys in the nose for no reason, just to keep up the military's reputation."

"That sounds like you." Annie said, wrapping her arm around his waist and pulling herself closer.

The guys were quietly trying to understand the couple in front of them.

"That was a joke." Auggie said, to no one in particular.

"Just making sure, boss." Charles said. Something about the way he said the words reminded Annie and Auggie both of Barber. "Why are you two looking at me like that?" Charles asked.

Auggie and Annie started laughing. "You just reminded us of somebody." Annie explained.

"Oh." Charles responded, slightly disarmed by the identical way the two of them had reacted.

"Fellas, this has been fun, but I have an early morning tomorrow, and should probably get going."

"Are you taking your wife with you? Because if not..."

"I'm definitely going with him." Annie clarified. "But it was great to meet you fellas."

"Yeah, same here..." They responded.

Annie got the feeling that she and Auggie made them all incredibly uncomfortable.

She led them to the street, both slightly buzzed from the shared pitcher. Annie started laughing. "So, I shouldn't have worn these heels?"

"You definitely shouldn't have worn those heels." He replied with a laugh, pulling her to a stop to face him. "But, seriously, I have to ask you something."

"What?" She asked.

"I thought I knew, but maybe I was wrong. Exactly how hot are you?" He asked.

Annie laughed and turned to keep walking toward the BART. "Oh, I think you know well enough."

Auggie grinned. "Perhaps I missed a detail." He said, seductively.

"I'd be open for... Investigation." Annie replied.

"Maybe we should take a cab." Auggie said.

"Yeah," Annie responded as his thumb explored her skin while he held her elbow and walked closely.

Minutes later Annie was leading Auggie up the stairs to their apartment. Their desire growing with every step. As soon as they were through the threshold, Auggie placed his cane by the door and pulled Annie into a kiss.

"Just how sexy are you, Misses Anderson?" He asked as his hands moved from the back of her head down, over her shoulders, then to her side. He gently ran his hands over the front of her blouse, noticing the low cut and the push-up bra.

"Really? You put on this bra for the geek squad?" Auggie asked, his finger lingering at the point where the shirt came together, rubbing the fabric.

"I wanted to make a good impression." She explained, her voice low and tempting.

Auggie gently unbuttoned the front of her blouse. "I think you scared them a bit."

Annie placed her hands on his waist as he pulled apart her shirt. "I'll be more careful, next time."

Auggie buried his lips into her neck. "Good idea."

* * *

><p><em><strong>If you can't tell, this story has sort of moved to the fluffy one-shot arena. I do intend to move the timeline a little, but no promises on when. In the meantime, when WillyNilly emails me an idea like this, I can't hesitate to write it up! <strong>_


	18. Chapter 18

"Annie! What are you doing here?" Danielle questioned, in an oddly cheerful voice, when she found her sister at her door.

"Auggie had to work late, and I thought I would stop by. Is it okay?"

"Sure. The girls are already in bed, though."

"I thought about that. I brought wine." Annie sat a bag on the counter and pulled out the bottle. "...And ice cream."

"Is everything okay?" Danielle asked.

"Yeah." Annie replied, but her voice was too cheerful. Danielle could tell that she was putting on a show. "I just wanted some time with my sister." She added with a smile.

"Well, I hope you don't mind having that time with me while I fold laundry."

"I'll even help." Annie replied, following her sister to the other room.

Danielle handed Annie a pile of towels and sat with a basket between them on the couch. "So, what's really up?"

"Nothing is up, Danielle." Annie replied, staring at the towel as she folded.

"Is Auggie really working late?" Danielle asked.

Annie looked up at her. "Of course. I mean, I trust that he's telling me the truth. We are only on the second week of our marriage, it's not like he would be having an affair or anything."

"I didn't mean it that way!" Danielle replied. "I just thought, with how independent you have always been, you might just be needing some alone time."

Annie was silent while she focused on the towel she had just folded. "I love him so much, Danielle."

"I imagine it's an interesting living situation." Danielle prodded.

Annie shrugged. "It's not a big deal."

"Do you think you'll have kids?" She asked enthusiastically.

"Whoa. Our relationship is already complicated enough."

"Is it just the blind thing, or the fact that you are - or used to be - a spy?" Danielle whispered the last word.

"We're both spies, Danielle."

"You both worked for the CIA, but it's not like Auggie can really be a spy. That's just silly."

Annie glared at her sister but didn't say anything.

"It's not silly?" Danielle backtracked.

"He doesn't miss much." Annie explained. "Except open cabinet doors and the few times he broke my heart."

"Recently?" Danielle asked, still curious what was up with her little sister.

"No." Annie said. "There was… one thing while I was gone, but he knew he was causing me heartache that time. It's behind us."

Danielle waited a moment in case Annie would start talking again.

Annie sighed. "This life, the one Auggie and I am starting out here in California, it is such a sudden change. It's a good change, of course, but it's all happening so fast that I sometimes have no idea who I really am."

Annie looked at Danielle.

"Being here with you, reminds me of a life I can hardly remember. But I want to remember it, Danielle."

"Where were you, Annie?"

"I will never be able to tell you."

"Does Auggie know?"

Annie pinched her lips together but didn't reply.

"Fine. So. Who do you want to be?"

"I don't know."

"Then be Annie Walker, my little sister, and eat some ice cream."

…

Auggie was putting away the milk when Annie got home. He looked relaxed, wearing his cotton pants and a tee shirt. "Hey, I was just starting to worry about you." He said as he walked over to her.

"I don't have any missed calls." Annie said, checking her phone.

"Just starting to worry. I wasn't actually there yet." He said before giving her a kiss. He had a confused expression on his face as he walked back to his bowl of cereal.

"What's wrong?" Annie asked.

"One, you didn't bring ME any ice cream. And two, chocolate isn't your preferred flavor."

Annie smiled. "It's like I married a spy." She teased.

"So, really, what's up?" He asked as he stuffed cereal into his mouth.

Annie sighed. "I felt a little lost, so I spent the evening with my sister."

He raised an eyebrow. "Are you feeling better now?"

"I think so. I've really missed her."

"I know you have."

"I guess you don't have that type of relationship with your brothers." Auggie rarely talked about his brothers, but Annie was meeting his family in two weeks and had been trying to pull some of the information out.

"Nope. Not the warm fuzzy type of relationship. But if I ever need somebody to sneak me into the American Embassy in the middle of the night, they can help out."

"I always wondered how did you that." Annie said as she walked to the couch.

"Julian, the one that's read in, is pretty high up in the State Department."

"Oh."

"Anything else I should know about?" Auggie turned the conversation back to Annie. "I'm not... missing anything, am I?" Auggie actually looked as though saying those words brought him pain.

"I've just been through a lot the past year, and sometimes it all catches up with me." She took his hand in hers. "You aren't missing anything. I just occasionally forget who I am."

Auggie placed his empty cereal bowl on the coffee table and pulled Annie firmly into his arms. "It doesn't matter who you are, you are always-"

"No." Annie interrupted firmly.

Auggie's eyes widened and he pulled back a little. When Annie didn't immediately explain, he raised an eyebrow.

"Sorry, I just…" She sighed. "I don't know what I need to hear right now. In the last five years, I went from being an unemployed world traveler to being a spy, to being dead, to killing the former DCS, and now, in some amazing twist of fate, I'm happily married to my best friend and working in the corporate world, while we wait for the CIA to activate us to start it all over again."

"You realize, Annie, that when they come to us, you can say 'No.' If you like this life, we don't have to go back."

Annie laughed. "Yeah. But that wouldn't be fair to you. That wouldn't be fair to them."

"They aren't particularly big on fairness." Auggie noted.

"It just feels so weird, Auggie. This whole situation. It feels weird that everything is working out so well considering what I did for the past six months."

"So, you want your life to be a little less comfortable?" Auggie asked.

"I guess I just want it to feel like that part of my life came to some sort of closure, instead of me getting to run away."

"But it did come to closure. The CIA gave you a medal."

"They gave me a medal my first week." Annie stated.

"So you feel that because you came out of this in a good situation, without suffering and punishment, you missed out?"

"I know it sounds silly."

Auggie shook his head. "Not necessarily."

"No?" Annie asked.

"You were involved in a very secret war. You are one of the strongest soldiers I have ever met, physically and emotionally. But you weren't at war with foreign strangers. For the good of the country, you killed a man that you knew well. There are very few men and women in uniform that are asked to do that."

Auggie squeezed her hand. "Even more, you weren't given orders to kill him. You had to make that decision - and it was the right decision - yourself. Yet, a soldier is given orders for what they have to do. They don't have to pretend it never happened after they return. People know that they have seen and done horrible things, and they don't have to hide that part of their past, if they don't want to." Auggie looked toward her. "I never thought about what that would mean for you."

Annie swallowed back a tear. "So what do I do?" She asked.

"I don't know." Auggie replied. "But for starters, you can tell me. You don't have to hide your past from me."

She leaned into his lap. He wrapped his arms around her and gave her a kiss on the top of her head. She took a deep breath, and started talking.


	19. Chapter 19

Annie was working late on a Thursday night, so Auggie ventured to the pub near their apartment. Over the past two years he had begun to enjoy coming to this place on his nights alone to sip on a beer and listen to the low-key live music they featured.

Women approached him differently now. He wasn't sure if it was a change in his body language, his own maturity, or the way he had developed a habit of running his thumb over his wedding ring. He was still never wanting for a helping hand, and he definitely had women approaching him, but their expectations were different.

Which is why he was caught a little off-guard when a stranger pulled a barstool close to him, gently placed her hand on his leg, and said "Hey cutey."

Auggie gently used his left hand removed her hand from his leg clearly showing her the shining gold wedding band. "I usually only hear that when I'm out with my nieces." He responded. His tone wasn't mean, but it wasn't friendly either.

"Oh? You have family in town?"

Auggie's alarm bells started going off at her questioning. He leaned toward her. "I really just want to enjoy a beer and go home to my wife."

"Why isn't she here with you? The band is good and the weather is perfect for going out."

This statement set of a different type of alarm for Auggie, and he fought a smile. "The weather has been a bit unpredictable recently." He replied.

"I hear that's common for the region." She replied, following the script.

Auggie turned back toward the bar and downed his drink. "Do we need to discuss this?"

"No," She replied. "Great to meet you, though."

"Same here." He replied.

As abruptly as she arrived, the woman walked away.

"What was that all about?" The bartender asked. He wasn't usually very nosey, but Auggie was a regular and he kept an eye out for him.

"Oh, just some woman that didn't see the wedding band." Auggie shrugged.

"She was definitely into you, but she didn't have anything on Annie."

"Good to know, since I don't plan on shopping around any time soon." Auggie replied, trying to figure out if he recognized her voice.

"No, I wouldn't imagine that you are. You want another?"

"No thank you. I'm going to go ahead and close out."

Moments later, Auggie walked into the apartment and fished in his left pocket for the small flash drive. It was time to get back to work.

...

Annie got home to find Auggie on the couch with his laptop and an empty bottle of beer in front of him.

"Hello Darling." He greeted.

"Why are you up?" She asked with a cautious smile.

Auggie looked toward her with an expression that conveyed everything she needed to know. "Because," he started.

"We're back in the game." She finished.

Auggie smiled and raised his eyebrows. "Wanna peak?" He said as he turned his laptop in her direction.

Annie sat her purse on the credenza and walked over to the couch. She looked at the blank screen and smiled. Auggie had learned that keeping it off significantly lengthened battery life. She leaned into his neck and gave him a seductive kiss as she entered the keystrokes for the monitor to show anything.

"Interestingly enough, you are reminding me of how I acquired this handy flash drive." Auggie said, turning his face downward toward Annie.

Annie replied by digging her teeth into his skin, making him cry out and pull away.

"You know how I know you aren't serious? Annie asked.

"Your teeth felt serious." He replied.

"But you weren't."

"You are right. I didn't make out with anybody for intel..." Auggie said. Then he grinned and added "...today."

"Or any time since we have gotten married, because you know more than anybody that I'm capable of killing a man."

Auggie pulled back, mockingly shocked. "And here I was just worried that you might rearrange the furniture."

Annie shrugged. "If I were a vindictive person, I would be more subtle and replace your IPA bottles with root beer."

"You are a cruel and calculating woman." Auggie replied. "Which brings us back to the information on my screen."

"Yeah, what's up?"

"Sounds like there is some suspicious activity surrounding a Bay Area businesswoman. I think you are supposed to talk her into meeting for drinks."

"That it?" Annie asked, skimming the information on the screen.

"It's all you need to know for now. I dug through it all while waiting for you. How about we pretend it's the good old days where I have all the information, and you perform the miracles?"

His hand ran up her leg, giving her an idea of the miracles he had in mind.

"Because I can be read in this time. I want to know."

"Fine." Auggie said as he handed over the laptop. "But I'm going on to bed. You could join me, and I could tell you all about it in the morning."

"Fine."

"There's no rush on this one. It looks like they are easing us in gradually."

"Understandable," Annie said.

"I think they sent a rookie to give me the flash drive." Auggie said, seeming offended.

"Well, it wasn't particularly a difficult mission." Annie countered.

"It was important that it be discreet." He said.

"Hm." Annie replied. "Do you think we're compromised?"

"No," He replied. "But that's not the point."

"What is the point?" Annie asked.

Auggie leaned close. "That getting back into the spy game has me extremely turned on, and I don't want to waste time telling you the menial details."

"Well, since you put it that way..." Annie sat the computer on the coffee table and climbed on top of Auggie.

...

Later that night, Annie laid on her side looking at her husband in the dim light of their bedroom. He was so happy that he seemed to be smiling in his sleep. They had made a good life for themselves the past two years, but she knew he missed the thrill that came with being behind the scenes. He was happier tonight than he had been in a long while.

And for the moment she would let him believe that she felt the same way.

* * *

><p><em><strong>I'm reluctant to say this is the end, but I don't plan anything else for this story in the immediate future. There's a long while until S5 starts, though, so I'm sure I'll come back to it. <strong>_


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